SkiWelt expands international partnership and wins gold in the USA

With 275 km of pistes, 81 modern lifts, 80 family-run huts and nine Tyrolean ski villages that have grown together, SkiWelt is one of the largest and most modern ski areas in the world. What sets it apart is the close cooperation between independent lift companies, hut owners, landowners, tourism associations and regional partners. It shares this philosophy with the Indy Pass, which Doug Fish founded in 2019 and which Erik Mogensen has been developing since 2023. Mogensen, who grew up at a small US ski area himself, wants to strengthen independent operators and keep skiing affordable for families. Around 20 European ski areas now belong to the alliance, including Portes du Soleil, the largest ski area in the world, and Levi.

As a rule, the pass includes two ski days at each partner resort. At SkiWelt, that means two day passes valid across the whole ski area, redeemed directly at the lift ticket offices. To keep the Indy Pass an independent, uncrowded experience for all partners, the number of passes is limited each year: the 2026/27 Indy Pass sold out within 37 minutes in spring and is currently no longer available. You can join the waiting list at indyskipass.com

The Destination Upgrade, launched on 5 November 2026, allows holders of a valid Indy Pass to buy three additional ski days. Together with the two included days, that makes up to five ski days in SkiWelt, with no blackout dates. Alternatively, the extra days can be split across the participating destinations. The upgrade can only be booked by existing Indy Pass customers through the Indy Pass e-store, and the days are loaded onto the pass automatically. It costs from US$199 for adults and US$129 for children, so skiing stays affordable even as a multi-day winter holiday. “Skiers want to invest their money in independent ski areas, and now they can do that on a longer trip,” says Indy Pass Director Erik Mogensen.

Working together rather than against each other is also SkiWelt’s strategy in international markets. For three years, leading Austrian ski areas have been presenting themselves in the USA as the WinterAllianz of the Austrian National Tourist Office, and SkiWelt has been part of it from the start. With its varied offering and easy access, just an hour from Munich, Salzburg and Innsbruck, it is a natural fit for international guests. Different ski areas taking part in different alliances benefits everyone: international guests discover even more of Austria, and visitors like to explore other ski areas too. Destinations benefit from one another.

Alongside the traditional core markets, new markets have also grown strongly in recent years. Guests from more than 90 countries visit SkiWelt, and around 80 per cent of them return. That is an incentive to keep improving and to delight guests and locals alike every single day. This winter, too, the SkiWelt lift companies are investing more than €13 million in new offers and services.

What began in 1977 with the bold merger of independent lift companies, a shared vision and genuine Tyrolean pioneering spirit was Austria’s largest connected ski area for over 30 years and is now among the largest in the world. Size was never the deciding factor. What mattered was the conviction that together you can achieve more, without giving up your own identity. “Without the courage to think beyond our own boundaries and to keep making decisions together for the bigger picture, SkiWelt would not be where it is today. Our guests love the individuality of each village, yet they see us as one SkiWelt. Association boundaries mean nothing to them. Big and modern, yet cosy and personal like home, individual and unique: that is exactly what makes SkiWelt so special,” says Anita Baumgartner, SkiWelt Marketing.

This attitude resonates internationally, as Canada’s Big White shows: “Independence is the key to our success,” says Senior Vice President Michael J. Ballingall. There, too, the focus is deliberately on local family businesses and personal encounters rather than corporate structures.

In November, Travel Weekly is presenting SkiWelt Wilder Kaiser – Brixental with the 2026 Gold Magellan Award in the category “Travel Destinations – Overall | Eco-Friendly ‘Sustainable’ Destination”. This prestigious US travel industry award recognises SkiWelt’s long-standing commitment, from energy-efficient lifts and modern snowmaking technology to sustainable mobility solutions. In 2024, SkiWelt had already received the International Sustainability Award at the Mountain Travel Symposium in Lake Tahoe. It has also earned the five-star rating and the award for environmentally friendly ski operations from Skiresort.de, as well as the SnowTrex Award for “Best Place to Ski”. The Gold Magellan Award will be presented in the 16 November 2026 issue of Travel Weekly.