Scandinavia's largest ski areas operator, SkiStar, have announced 598 million SEK (about £47m) in Hemsedal, Norway.
The biggest part of this spend will go on the new Lodge Express high-speed, six-seat chairlift, which will be operational next winter. Money is also going on more efficient snowmaking and ski slope improvements.
The new Lodge Express lift will start from SkiStar Lodge and take skiers and boarders on a 1,733 metre ascent up into the facility, increasing capacity to 3,000 people per hour, with skiers no longer needing to ride the bowl lift through the children's area to get to the top. However, a new bowl lift will also be built adjacent to the terrain park.
"We finally get better capacity in the ski system, and thus even more memorable mountain experiences for everyone who visits us. This means a lot for Hemsedal as a destination, both winter and summer," commented Andreas Smith-Erichsen, destination manager at SkiStar Hemsedal.
The new lift is also part of a group strategy to develop their mountain destinations into increasingly year round attractions, albeit with the winter season still the biggest business.
"To ensure future mountain tourism and satisfied guests, we invest in better skiing experiences here and now. Therefore, it feels very good that we can present a new express lift in Hemsedal already next winter," commented Stefan Sjöstrand, managing director and CEO of SkiStar AB.