Ski resort tips

Val Thorens, the highest ski resort in Europe at 2,300m, has again been named ‘Best Ski Resort in the World’ at the annual World Ski Awards, the only global initiative to recognise, reward and celebrate excellence in ski tourism. 

Nothing could be further from the image most people have of Saudi Arabia than a winter wonderland. And yet the country is building exactly that within the mountains of Neom, its €461 billion ($500 billion) ‘city of the future’.

The ancient peaks of Italy’s Dolomites are dramatic silver-grey canvases for the elements, reflecting the ever-changing hues of the skies. Come winter, fresh powder dusts the UNESCO World Heritage-listed mountain range and the area becomes a sprawling playground for snow-lovers. Encompassing 12 diverse ski resorts and over 745 miles of pistes, the Dolomiti Superski area enables visitors to combine picturesque skiing with the rich cultural heritage of South Tyrol, Trentino and Veneto.

Use our insider’s guide to the region’s most popular spots – and a few more-off-the-beaten-track destinations, too.

Each year, there's an unofficial race to see which ski resort will be the first one in the United States to start turning its lifts up and down the mountain.

In the ski industry, there is no more important ranking than the annual one Ski Magazine puts out, and in that ranking, there is no higher honor than Best Resort North America. Idaho’s Sun Valley has won that lofty title the last three years running (2021-2023, the 2024 awards should be announced soon).

The latest news in the ski world is the marriage of a 21st-century tech billionaire and a troubled ski mountain. In one fell swoop, Reed Hastings, the co-founder of Netflix, has made a $100 million investment in Powder Mountain, Utah, the country’s largest resort. Hastings, who stepped down as CEO of Netflix in January and became a minority owner of Powder Mountain in April, ascended to majority owner of the resort with this investment on September 6.

Most popular tourist destinations try to increase the number of visitors every year. But that’s not the case on the glamorous Spanish island of Mallorca. Faced with the prospect of losing their paradise to the growing swell of tourism, local activists have taken an innovative approach to keep its azure waters less crowded—fake warning signs posted on some of Mallorca’s most popular beaches. Seemingly ordinary to passersby, these signs bear disturbing messages in English such as “dangerous jellyfish” or “falling rocks.” While tourists are led to believe they face physical dangers, the messages actually make with bold statements such as: “the problem isn’t a rockfall, it’s mass tourism,” or the satirical note that the beach is “open—except for foreigners and jellyfish.”

Club Med has set a December opening for its Club Med Kiroro Grand all-inclusive ski resort in Hokkaido, Japan.