Hakuba January Numbers

[NoFakie 45]

This was in the one-sheet local paper the other day. Numbers for January only, compared with last year. I don't get the paper and read in a restaurant last week, so the numbers may be slightly wrong from memory. The Happo one is a shocker, but I'm sure that's what it said. I remember being surprised when I read it.

 

Tiny places

Highland, Minekata down 50% (no snow)

 

Middly places

Sanosaka, Iwatake down 30% (little snow)

 

Large places

Goryu up 7% (180,000 total)

47 up 7% (60,000)

Happo down 15% (170,000)

[Fattwins 0]

im shocked the line-ups at happo this year have been pretty big.

[eskimobasecamp 0]

i think there's been a few big line up days recently, like the long 3 day weekend, and over chinese new year.... but generally it's been pretty quiet, i remember a couple of weekends in january where there were about 10 people on skyline on a saturday, and i remember thinking WHAT THE HECK?!!!

 

happo should build a park

[SnowJapan#Andrew 6]

Those numbers sound about right from what I heard when I talked to the resorts over there. I heard that Tsugaike was doing relatively ok as well due to lots of people coming from Toyama/Niigata where these is less snow than usual. All of the places though said there was a noticable increase in the number of foreigners on the hills.

[Fattwins 0]

i think the feb numbers might be better for happo.

[NoFakie 45]

I hope they're all better. The more the merrier!

 

Just six years ago, Happo used to get more than Goryu and 47 combined. It sounds like its fallen behind just Goryu now.

[Curt 1]

Any reason in particular for you feel?

[Fattwins 0]

because feb was super busy in hakuba longest lines ive seen in a long time

[skidaisuki 0]

Happo deserves more business than Goryu & 47 in my opinion - it is bigger, higher and better all round in terms of variety. Lift queues can be a hassle, though - especially at the bottom of the Skyline where there's that slow twin

[Fattwins 0]

and the patrol arent stupid

[eskimobasecamp 0]

Yeh they don't have the other lift on skyline open this year... they are definitely cutting costs with their lift operations. Perhaps they are saving up for a Pipe Dragon?!!!! And some Park shaper dudes?! I don't remember skyline always being that popular, punters usually stay over on the other side of the mountain, but those busy weekends had big lineups. YAY for happo patrol, at least you can rip that mountain, 47 & goryu = sick but stressful.

[Fattwins 0]

Happo has a pipe dragon its a nakiyama

[giggsy 0]

Even with the increase in foreigners, what % of the total will they make up?

[SirJibAlot 0]

I saw recently that the resorts are set up for a skiing population of 14M people, but only 7M locals are going now. I doubt that foreigners could ever make up that kind of shortfall. it's still probably less than 1%.

[Curt 1]

Any news on the Feb numbers?