Is it winter and ski season yet?

The definition of winter changes depending on where you are on the planet. If you are in the north or south of Europe, winter also arrives at different times. So when is the winter season for skiing? The European ski season usually kicks off in late November and lasts until mid-April, so we're getting close to that time of year. Then of course, if you are going to (or living in) the south of Europe, say Malaga in Spain, or Thessaloniki in Greece, you can be lucky and soak up sunnier days even in December. The answer to whether it is winter for skiers yet is – It depends on where you are.

Two countries are the hot spots for skiing in Europe

Let us check some statistics to see how well-liked skiing is in Europe! Did you know that Austria received the highest number of skiers over the five years leading up to 2022, with 43 million skiers? This was closely followed by France with more than 40 million skiers over the same five-year period. Italy had just over half that number, 22 million foreign skiers, in the same five-year period. The trend is clear in Western Europe with Austria and France, which over the sampled period received more than 80 million foreign skiers. Who said skiing is not a viable winter sport anymore?

Now, of course, the trend may shift as the sampling of new five-year periods continues. Italy had half the number of foreign skiers compared to both Austria and France. But Italy had half the number of foreign skiers compared to Austria and France. So these two countries have a firm hold over the first and second place when it comes to the popularity of ski destinations in Western Europe.

Reference: (Statista) The World's Skiing Hotspots