Fukushima Ski Resorts in 2026–27: 4 Strategies Using Price Cuts, Free Lift Access and Shared Passes

First up is Grandeco from Urabandai. This time, I was especially surprised by the price of the lift ticket.

An adult one-day ticket for the previous season costs 6,500 yen on weekends and holidays, and 5,900 yen on weekdays.
This season, we introduced the price as 5,500 yen on weekends and holidays, and 4,300 yen on weekdays.

The price is reduced by 1,000 yen on Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays, and 1,600 yen on weekdays.

This is a rather drastic decision given the heavy burden of personnel and utility costs, and prices continuing to rise.

Season tickets are normally 60,000 yen, 50,000 yen for the earliest period until the end of September, and 55,000 yen for the second period until the end of October.

Once the early bird discount period has passed, you will no longer be able to purchase at that price.

It doesn't have to be a ski resort that is just cheap.

Snow characteristics

Here's my thoughts. Grandeco has the strengths of good snow quality, long courses, and a hotel with direct access to the ski slopes.

Prices and ticket types

I don't think everyone decides where to go based solely on lift tickets. However, after considering the appeal of the snow and the course, the price may be a deciding factor in the end.

Price reductions create a buzz and create a sense of value.

We also offer complimentary lift tickets for guests who make reservations through the hotel's official website.
This could lead to the use of hotels as well as ski resorts.

On the other hand, if you lower the unit price, lift ticket sales will decrease unless attendance and other uses increase.

How much will the number of visitors increase, and will overall sales including lodging and food and beverages increase?
It will be interesting to see if they can gain new fans while capitalizing on their existing strengths.

Inawashiro is ``Ina Suki!'', which has no admission fee or annual fee.
For the 2026-27 season, we introduced free one-day lift tickets on weekdays and half-price tickets on Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays for 3,300 yen for adults.

It is not always free for everyone without registration.

This measure has been in place since the 2020-21 season.

The video also touched on the reported idea of the management's desire to attract people to the area and revitalize not only the ski resort but the entire town.

While rising prices are making it difficult for people who are just starting out, some people may be thinking, ``If it's free, I'll give it a try.''

In addition to encouraging people to choose from other ski resorts, they are trying to increase the number of opportunities for skiers to go skiing in the first place.
When you think about it that way, it looks a little different than just a price competition.

In the video, we introduced that the reported number of lift transporters increased from approximately 1,537,000 to approximately 2,181,000, an increase of approximately 42%.

This is a metric that corresponds to the number of times lifts are used, not the actual number of visitors.

In addition to restaurants and rentals, there are also paid services that allow you to use priority lanes.
It is a system that makes regular tickets cheaper, but sets a fee for added value.

It is not possible to confirm whether all the costs of making the service free of charge have been recovered.

However, as the number of people increases, the number of people using other services will also increase.
I think this is a measure that considers revenue from the use of the entire facility, not just lift tickets.

In the video, we also introduced the benefit of presenting the Inawashiro season ticket in exchange for a one-day lift ticket at the same group's Urabandai, Kita Nikko, Takahata.

Please check the purchase information for applicable tickets and conditions.

We also create experiences such as snow fireworks and motion recorders to record the skiing scene.

Can you get them to come with a strong incentive that it's free, get them to know the real appeal, and make them want to come again?
I found that to be a very interesting point.

Nekoma focused on how to sell season tickets and multi-day tickets.

The regular season ticket for adults is 90,000 yen, the super early bird discount until November 3rd is 45,000 yen, and the super early bird discount for 19 to 23 years old is 19,000 yen.

There is a deadline for the super early bird discount. It is necessary to look at the price separately from the regular price, including age eligibility conditions.

Nekoma season tickets also come with preferential treatment from our partners across the country.

In the video, we introduced free 1-day lift passes at Tomamu and free passes for up to 3 days at Mt.T by Hoshino Resorts on Gunma Prefecture.

Participating Hoshino Resorts accommodations are also introducing plans for purchasers with up to 40% off during the winter season.

It cannot be used unconditionally for all facilities and dates, so please check the reservation conditions and applicable facilities separately.

It can be used not only for skiing Nekoma, but also when traveling to Hokkaido etc.
I feel that by leveraging our network, we are expanding the value of having this ticket to areas outside of the ski resort.

We also introduced the 3-day ticket and 5-day ticket that appeared in the 2026-27 season.
Super early bird discount for adults for 3 days is 17,000 yen, and for 5 days is 19,000 yen.

For 5 days, it costs 3,800 yen per day.

There is no need to use it for 5 consecutive days.
I don't know if I'll be able to go enough to buy a season ticket, but I'd like to go at least a few times.
This is the option for those people.

If you buy your ticket in advance, it will be easier to think, ``Let's go to Nekoma''.

For the management side, this is a system that has the potential to generate sales before the season and multiple visits afterwards.

The last one is the Aizu Kogen 4-mountain season ticket.
The four ski resorts targeted are Takatsue, Daiikura, Nango, Kita Nikko and Takahata.

We introduced the 2026-27 season as 60,000 yen for adults, unchanged from the previous year.

Limited to the first 100 people, registration began at 10 a.m. on September 1st, and sales had reached the planned number by 9 p.m. on the same day.

In 2024, it sold out in about 2 hours and 20 minutes, so we feel that this product has a certain level of demand.

At the time of the video, the reception has already ended, and this does not mean that you can purchase it now.

Personally, what I find interesting is that the four facilities are working together to attract customers as an area.

If you were to sell 100 tickets for 60,000 yen, that would be 6 million yen, but from the perspective of the four ski resorts as a whole, I felt that it was difficult to think that ticket sales were the only objective.

Those who pay before the season are those who want to actively skate in Minamiaizu.
By visiting multiple facilities, you will also have the opportunity to learn about ski resorts you have never been to before.

On the other hand, there is a possibility that the number of visits will be uneven depending on the facility, and adjustments may be made to how sales are divided.

However, we have not confirmed the actual allocation method or the reason for limiting it to 100 people.
This is my view based on the structure of the product.

In the video, we also introduced that DMCaizu, the same company as Inawashiro, is involved in Takahata and Takatsuge.

Takatsue will be taking on new management duties from April 2026.

We also operate tourist facilities such as hotels and hot springs, and promote the tourism brand Kita Nikko.

I think a four-mountain ticket would go well with the idea of attracting people by combining local resources, not just individual ski resorts.

I don't yet know if it will continue to be limited to 100 people or if it will expand.
I would like to pay attention to the extent to which the ability to attract local customers can be increased through cooperation between facilities.