Portes Du Soleil Suisse Sa

What Portes Du Soleil Suisse Sa does

Portes du Soleil Suisse SA is a privately held Swiss ski lift operator incorporated in 2010 that holds the exclusive concession to operate the Swiss side of the Portes du Soleil international ski area, running lifts and ticket offices across four villages: Champéry, Les Crosets, Champoussin, and Morgins in the Valais Alps. The company manages 21 summer lifts, 600+ km of mountain bike trails, and 50+ marked hiking routes, and serves as the venue for the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup downhill track at Champéry. Its product portfolio is built around tiered ski passes (Swiss Domain 3CM and the full Portes du Soleil international pass spanning Switzerland and France), MTB season and multi-day passes, the MultiPass (covering 70+ activities across 12 village resorts), and individual pedestrian lift tickets for the Champéry cable car and Morgins gondola.

The core technology is the AXESS smart card ticketing system, which uses chip-card media with online recharge capability and an algorithmic fraud-detection system at access points. Pricing is structured as pay-as-you-go for single and multi-day passes (adult 1-day CHF 35 Swiss domain, CHF 41 international; 7-day CHF 244), with subscription-style season passes for MTB (from CHF 335) and MultiPass (CHF 120 adult), plus a CHF 5.00 non-refundable smartcard surcharge. Distribution is omnichannel: direct through ticket offices at four villages, vending machines, e-commerce via the skipass-pds-ch.ch platform with Worldline payment processing, Swiss channel partners (RailAway, Ticket Corner), and group bookings. The company supports 250+ employees and maintains ISO 9001, 14001, 45001, Valais Excellence, and Swisstainable Level III—Leading certifications, alongside a 15-year mechatronics apprenticeship program.

Commercially, the business is a B2C operator with primarily individual consumer and family buyers, supplemented by group bookings (10–15% discounts for 13+ people), a district children's pass program for local communes, and the Illiez Card regional benefits partnership. Revenue is not publicly disclosed; the company is privately owned with no institutional investors, no funding rounds, and no M&A activity recorded in the source data. Climate dependency (snowfall), seasonal concentration, and concession-bound geographic scope are the defining structural characteristics of the business model.

Name

Portes Du Soleil Suisse Sa

Legal name

Portes du Soleil Suisse SA

Website

https://skipass-pds-ch.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Portes du Soleil Suisse SA is a private Swiss ski lift operator managing the Swiss side of the Portes du Soleil international ski area across Champéry, Les Crosets, Champoussin, and Morgins, selling seasonal and day passes for skiing, snowboarding, mountain biking, and hiking to consumer travelers and regional tourists.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Ski Resort and Mountain Lift Operations

NAICS

Skiing Facilities (71392), Skiing Facilities (713920)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYTHAAAJAB

Ski Areas & Lift Operations (Independent Mountains)

Travel & Hospitality/Adventure, Amusement Parks & Ecotourism/Winter Adventure & Mountain Resorts (Ski, Snowboard, Snow Activities)

SECONDARYTHAIAKAD

Mountain Gondola & Chairlift Passenger Transport (Non-ski Commuter/Tourist)

Travel & Hospitality/Rail, Bus & Ground Passenger Transport/Cable Cars, Funiculars & Aerial Tramways

Keywords

• Ski lift operations
• Mountain biking passes
• Alpine resort services
• Ski pass sales
• Cable car access

Headquarters

HQ city

Champéry

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Ski Passes and Lift Tickets: Core revenue from ski lift tickets across Swiss and French domains. Products include 5-hour, 1-7 day passes, and season passes for the Portes du Soleil international ski area.
2. Cable Car and Gondola Access: Pedestrian access tickets for Champéry cable car and Morgins gondola lift. Round trip and one-way options available.
3. Mountain Biking Season Passes: MTB season passes for Swiss domain and full Portes du Soleil area during summer season, priced from CHF 335.00.
4. MultiPass: Seasonal and multi-day passes covering over 70 activities across 12 village resorts. Season pass from CHF 120 for adults.
5. Smart Card Sales: CHF 5.00 non-refundable smartcard surcharge on all passes, reusable for future purchases.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Portes du Soleil Suisse SA operates and sells access to mountain lifts, cable cars, gondolas, and chairlifts on the Swiss side of the Portes du Soleil international ski area (Champéry, Les Crosets, Champoussin, Morgins). It sells day, multi-day, and season ski passes for the Swiss domain and the full international area (Switzerland-France), as well as summer mountain biking passes, pedestrian access tickets for cable cars and gondolas, and the MultiPass covering 70+ activities across 12 village resorts.

Product overview

Portes du Soleil Suisse SA operates as a ski lift company managing the Swiss side of the Portes du Soleil international resort area across four villages: Champéry, Les Crosets, Champoussin, and Morgins. The company offers a tiered product portfolio comprising: (1) Core lift passes including the Swiss Domain 3CM pass covering the four Swiss resorts plus extended areas (Torgon, Super-Châtel, La Chapelle, Chalet Neuf), and the international Portes du Soleil pass spanning Switzerland and France; (2) Seasonal mountain biking passes including day tickets, multi-day packages, and season passes covering 600km of trails across 21 lifts; (3) The MultiPass offering access to 70+ activities in 12 villages; (4) Individual pedestrian lift tickets for Champéry cable car and Morgins gondola; (5) Supporting programs including the Illiez Card regional benefits card, My Club loyalty program, optional snow insurance, and district children's discounted passes. Products are sold through online channels and physical ticket offices, with smart card (AXESS) technology for access control.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Illiez Card: Benefits card for the Dents du Midi region offering discounts and free access to activities, tourist facilities, and services.
• My Club Portes du Soleil
• Swiss Domain 3CM

Products and services

• Swiss Domain 3CM Pass (Champéry - Les Crosets - Champoussin - Morgins) Ski and lift pass covering the Swiss domain of the Portes du Soleil, including the Champéry, Les Crosets, Champoussin, and Morgins ski areas plus extended lifts (Chalet Neuf, Torgon, Super-Châtel, La Chapelle). Sold in day and multi-day variants for children, young adults, adults, and seniors.
• Portes du Soleil International Pass Comprehensive ski pass covering both Switzerland and France, providing access to the full Portes du Soleil international ski area. Available as 1 day or multi-day (2-7 day) passes for children, young adults, adults, and seniors.
• 1 Day MTB (Mountain Biking Pass) Single-day mountain biking pass for the Swiss domain. Valid any day during the summer season, from CHF 26.00 for adults. Provides lift access to mountain bike trails.
• Mountain Bike Season Pass Full season mountain biking pass offering access to 600 km of mountain bike trails and 21 mountain lifts across the Portes du Soleil area, priced from CHF 335.00.
• MultiPass Multi-activity pass covering over 70 activities in 12 village resorts. Available as single day (CHF 18.00), multi-day, or full season pass (Adult 26+ CHF 120, Young 5-25 CHF 90).
• Cable Car Champéry (Pedestrian Access) Pedestrian lift access via the Champéry - Croix-de-Culet cable car. Round trip or one-way tickets available for hiking and sightseeing visitors. MultiPass holders receive 30% discount.
• Morgins Gondola Lift (Pedestrian Access) Pedestrian access to Morgins via gondola lift, from CHF 18.00. Opens July 1 for summer season to provide access to La Foilleuse and the Morgins bike park. MultiPass holders receive 30% discount.
• Mountain Biking Stay (Multi-day MTB) Multi-day mountain biking package (2+ days) allowing discovery of 600 km of trails with lift access, from CHF 59.00 for 2 days.
• District Children Pass Special reduced-rate ski passes for children residing in local communes including Champéry, Val-d'Illiez, Troistorrents-Morgins, Collombey-Muraz, Vionnaz-Torgon, Monthey, Vouvry, Port-Valais, and St-Gingolph.

Quantifiable outcome

• 21 mountain lifts operating during summer season
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Summit FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSwiss environmental foundation (nonprofit, recognized public benefit organization) supporting Portes du Soleil Suisse SA in sustainability efforts through recommendations, expertise, and analyses. Active supporter of the 'Sustainable Mountains' continuous improvement program.
• Région Dents du MidicoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional tourism promotion organization for the Dents du Midi destination. Active supporter of the 'Sustainable Mountains' program and owner of photos used on PDS Suisse website.
• Energy Agency for the Economy (AEnEc)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPerformance agreement partnership for improving energy efficiency and reducing CO2 emissions through concrete energy-saving measures.
• RailAwayminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSwiss distribution partner for ski pass sales, enabling combined rail and ski ticket packages.
• Ticket CornerminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSwiss distribution partner for ski pass sales across Switzerland.
• Snow AssistminorOthersTravel insurance partner offering coverage for ski passes against accidents, illness, and weather-related trip interruptions.
• Illiez Card ProgramminorGTM or Marketing PartnerRegional benefits card partnership providing cardholders with discounts on pedestrian passes at PDS Suisse ticket offices.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Broad incumbents

• Vail Resorts: Largest global ski resort operator with destination mountain operations and the Epic Pass. Comparable in business model (lift access + season pass + ancillary) but operates as a multi-resort platform rather than a single-destination lift company.
• SkiStar AB: Multi-resort ski operator across Scandinavia and the Alps. Comparable as a destination ski business but at much larger scale with multiple resorts, branded real estate, and centralized operations that PDS Suisse does not have.

Direct peers

• Jungfraubahnen AG: Swiss mountain railway and lift operator in the Jungfrau region. Comparable Swiss alpine transport infrastructure operator with sightseeing/non-ski transport revenue streams that complement ski operations, similar to PDS Suisse's summer cable car/gondola business.
• Weisse Arena Bergbahnen (LAAX): Swiss ski lift operator running the LAAX/Flims ski area. Comparable independent alpine operator with strong year-round positioning, summer MTB and hiking offerings, and a destination event programming strategy similar to PDS Suisse's UCI World Cup hosting.
• Société d'Exploitation des Remontées Mécaniques des Portes du Soleil (Avoriaz / French side): Operates the French side of the Portes du Soleil international ski area. Most direct comparable as the counterpart lift operator for the same transboundary ski domain accessed via PDS Suisse's flagship product.
• Compagnie du Mont-Blanc: French operator of lifts, tramways, and ski facilities in the Chamonix-Mont-Blanc area. Comparable European alpine lift operator with year-round tourism product mix, cable car and gondola operations, and similar integration between ski and summer recreation.
• Zermatt Bergbahnen AG: Swiss mountain lift operator serving Zermatt/Cervinia. Comparable as a premium Swiss alpine lift company with transboundary operations, year-round revenue model, and similar sustainability certifications, though at materially higher altitude.
• Téléverbier SA: Independent Swiss ski lift operator in Valais serving the Verbier/4 Vallées ski area. Closely comparable mid-sized Swiss alpine lift operator with similar year-round product mix (ski + summer mountain biking/hiking) and Swiss pricing structure.

Others

• Région Dents du Midi: Regional tourism promotion organization that is both a strategic partner and ecosystem participant. Adjacent in that it co-markets the Dents du Midi destination including PDS Suisse's resorts, but does not operate lifts itself.
• AXESS (SKIDATA AG): Provider of the AXESS smart card ticketing system used by PDS Suisse. Relevant as the technology infrastructure supplier rather than a direct competitor, but useful for understanding the underlying access control stack.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/portes-du-soleil-suisse

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Portes Du Soleil Suisse Sa