STA, 31 March 2018 - One of the longest skiing seasons on record is coming to an end at most Slovenian ski resorts this Easter weekend. Visitor turnout has been good, with Kranjska Gora reporting record numbers since independence.
Despite the moody weather during the winter school holidays, all ski-lift operators report higher visitor numbers than the year before due to abundant snow and low temperatures.
The season started early. Kanin, Slovenia's highest ski resort, brought its ski lifts into operation as early as 10 November, only a day ahead of Vogel.
Unlike resorts at lower altitudes, which have already started preparing for the summer season, Kanin and Vogel expect to stay open for skiing until after May Day holidays.
The Kanin ski-lifts operator Sončni Kanin has transported 23,500 skiers from the Slovenian side and about 19,500 from Sella Nevella across the border with Italy.
"Compared with the year ago, we have increased the turnout by about 30%. We are happy to report the daily number of visitors going up from 210 to 315," the company's boss Marijan Skornišek told the STA.
He says that the overall number of visitors could have been higher if they had not been forced to close so many times due to bad weather conditions.
Kanin still has six metres of snow so the skiing season should continue until 6 May, but preparations are under way for the summer with plans for a new via ferata and new mountain biking trails.
Provided a few more sunny days until May Day, the Vogel resort in the heart of the Triglav National Park will have seen one of the best seasons in recent years.
The ski-lift operator Žičnice Vogel Bohinj has recorded almost 100,000 skiers, which is 35% more that in the same period the year before.
Like other resorts, Vogel is looking ahead to the summer season. The visitors can look forward to a biking park, a zip line, pony riding and several entertainment events.
Slovenia's best-known skiing resort, Kranjska Gora has attracted more than 220,000 skiers, a record since independence and almost 32,000 more than the season before.
After maintenance work, the ski lifts in Kranjska Gora will reopen on 20 April when the resort hosts the European summit of the International Mountain Bicycling Association.
The Krvavec resort just north of Ljubljana has attracted 194,000 skiers this year despite the moody weather, an increase from 185,000 seen in the much shorter season before.
The skiing season there is expected to end on 8 April. Plans for the summer include extending mountain biking trails to one of the longest downhills in Europe running for 12 kilometres.
Ski slopes at Cerkno in the west of the country have already closed for the season after drawing more than 90,000 skiers, a couple of thousand more than the season before.
In the east of the country, Rogla and Kope have had an excellent winter season, and a solid turnout is also reported by the operator of ski lifts on Pohorje slopes above Maribor and Golte to the west.
Ski lifts at Rogla have transported 198,000 skiers, 6% more than in the same period a year ago, at an average daily turnout of 1721, according to operator Unitur.
Marprom, which is responsible for the Maribor section of the Pohorje slopes, sold more than 1,700 ski season passes and more than 84,000 one- or multi-day passes, recording an estimated 200,000 skiers.
The Kope resort has reported a 30% year-on-year increase in visitors, having seen 79,000 skiers in 115 days, whereas Golte attracted 65,000 in as many days.
