Rumours are flying that US Group Vail Resorts is planning to snap up more Swiss centres following its acquisition of Andermatt then Crans Montana.
Laax and Verbier are the two names being bandied about the most. Swiss newspaper Blick reported on speculation, meetings and insider reports of meetings between Laax management and Vail executives but note neither side will comment either way.
Pierre Besson, the head of the Magic Mountains Cooperation which sells a kind of Swiss version of Vail's Epic Pass told Blick that Vail Resorts has five to six resorts in Switzerland and Austria in mind.
Meanwhile Vail Resorts itself has announced that Crans-Montana Mountain Resort is scheduled to open to skiers and snowboarders as early as 16th November, followed by Andermatt-Sedrun on 14th December, conditions permitting.
"This winter will mark the first season that purchasers of the Epic Pass will be able to access Crans-Montana Mountain Resort as well as other European resorts including Andermatt-Sedrun-Disentis and Verbier4Vallées in Switzerland, Les 3 Vallées in France, Skirama Dolomiti Adamello Brenta in Italy, and Ski Arlberg in Austria," a company spokesperson said.
Vail resorts own 42 resorts at present. Most of them are in the US but besides its Swiss resorts it also owns Whistler Blackcomb in Canada and three leading Australian resorts.
Laurent Vauchet, CEO of Televerbier, denied that Vail Resorts was buying Verbier in an interview with The Ski Podcast in March 2024.