What future for Australian ski resorts?

What does the future hold for Australia's ski resorts? 

The 2026 season marked the hottest winter on record for the Australian Alps, with the highest mean temperatures on record for June to August across much of Victoria, New South Wales, the ACT and Tasmania. 

The season is shutting down early across the Australian Alps, with resort closures, businesses up for sale, and a severe lack of snow, the Protect Our Winters team says. 

The snow season typically peaks in August and runs through late-September to October, but climate pollution is driving higher temperatures and significant rain events that have greatly reduced snow cover, bringing an unusually early end to the season.

Mt Baw Baw in Victoria and Selwyn Snow Resort in New South Wales both closed for the season last week. Selwyn cited a “challenging winter”, temperature, and rain’s “impact on our remaining snow cover” as the reasons for closure.

Mia Rennie, POW Athlete Alliance, free skier and sports commentator, noted the changes at Selwyn in a media release.

"I grew up skiing at Selwyn snowfields and remember having to dig our front doors out at Cabramurra," Rennie said. 

"That’s now a thing of the past. I have seen first hand how quickly our winters are changing and how quickly we need to respond so future generations can continue to experience the magic of winter that I grew up with.”

Australia’s resort economy is worth over $3 billion annually, supporting thousands of jobs. 

Thredbo Alpine Resort was recently hit with a valuation drop of over 50% from $292 million to $143 million, POW says. 

And coming off the back of Australia’s most successful Winter Olympics, climate change is threatening the future of Australia’s snow sports viability, success, and culture. With diminishing opportunities for training and competition in Australia, athletes are increasingly forced to chase snow opportunities overseas.

Protect Our Winters Australia (POW) is A community-driven, science-backed collective of winter sports enthusiasts, High Country devotees, climate scientists, and regional businesses advocating for systemic climate solutions.

For more info see protectourwinters.org.au.

Image: Mount Hotham slalom gully last week. Supplied. 

St Hugo to enliven snowy peaks of Thredbo

Leading Australian ski resort Thredbo has paired with premium wine brand St Hugo to end the 2026 snow season in style. 

Barossa-born St Hugo has announced a partnership with Thredbo Resort to bring new zing to the Snowy Mountains.

It is the first time in Thredbo's history that the resort has partnered with a wine brand and St Hugo will "deliverir a series of elevated wine, dining and hospitality experiences across the mountain".

At  the heart of the partnership, St Hugo is the first-ever presenting partner of the iconic Kareela Snowcat Dinners - one of Australia's most unusual alpine dining experiences. Accessible only via a scenic snowcat journey through the snow-covered mountains, the experience pairs food, fine wine and views from high above the resort.

Throughout the season, guests will also be able to enjoy St Hugo wines across Thredbo's venues, including Cascades, Kareela Hutte and the Lounge Bar. 

From Friday, August 21, to Sunday, August 23, the mountain will come alive with the St Hugo Sessions at Kareela Hutte, featuring DJs and an elevated après-ski atmosphere. 

As part of the partnership, St Hugo will also unveil the inaugural St Hugo Chalet Experience, an invitation-only alpine residence where guests will be immersed in the world of St Hugo through a curated program of wine, culinary and alpine experiences. 

"There are few destinations in Australia as iconic as Thredbo, making it the perfect setting for St Hugo's first alpine partnership," brand owner Vinarchy APAC marketing director Amy Darvill said:

"As the first wine brand to partner with the resort, we're excited to bring together exceptional wine, dining and hospitality through a series of experiences that celebrate the best of the Australian snow season."

Thredbo Partnerships & MTB Business Manager, Tim Windshuttle, said: "We're delighted to welcome St Hugo as Thredbo's first-ever wine partner. From the Kareela Hutte Snowcat Dinners to the St Hugo Sessions and exclusive hospitality experiences throughout the season, this partnership adds an exciting new dimension to the Thredbo experience."

For more info visit sthugo.com. 

Qantas boosts path to slippery slopes

 

Qantas is making big moves to cater for the ski set heading for Japan. 

The Australian flag carrier has increased capacity on its popular Sydney-Sapporo route for the 2026-27 season, with flights expanding from three per week to up to five per week in response to increased  demand during the current ski season.

The enhanced schedule represents a 50% capacity increase for next season, adding more than 10,000 additional seats to cater for Australians heading to Hokkaido's snow resorts, and a total of nearly 35,000 seats between the two cities.

This comes after new data from the Japan National Tourism Organisation (JNTO) revealed that over one million Australians visited Japan in 2025, an increase of 15% on an already record-breaking 2024, with 121,300 visitors visiting the country during the December school holiday rush alone and start of the popular winter season.

Qantas is the only airline to establish a non-stop link between Sydney and Sapporo, with the seasonal service launching in December 2025. 

Sapporo also became the 100th destination to join the airline’s international network, boosting tourism in both directions and catering to the increasing demand from Australians looking to experience Japan’s ski slopes.

“Since launching flights from Sydney to Sapporo last month the response from customers has been incredibly strong," says Qantas International CEO Cam Wallace.

"We’re only halfway through the current season and already we’ve carried almost 10,000 customers on the route and demand is high for the rest of the season.

“Japan remains a key focus for Qantas in the Asia region. By adding more flights next season, it cements our dedication to strengthening ties between our two countries and gives Australian travellers more choice and seamless direct access to Hokkaido’s snow.”

Return economy fares from Sydney to Sapporo are available from $1,473 at qantas.com.