Szwajcaria Bałtowska: How Dynamic Pricing Droplabs changed the ski season
Baltic Switzerland is a popular ski slope operating as part of the Baltic Tourist Complex. The most modern infrastructure in Central Poland and the quality of services offered by the facility attract thousands of skiers. However, there are more and more challenges such as an increasingly short season and increasingly warm winters. As part of the development of Baltic Switzerland and the search for answers to these challenges, the 2024/2025 winter season decided on a change that had the chance to revolutionize the approach to the sale of passes: the introduction of a policy of planning in advance, allowing customers to benefit from more flexible and attractive prices.
The solution has already proven itself perfectly on the summer attractions of the Complex. The CEO of the company, Filip Lichota, was the first in Poland to decide to introduce Dynamic Pricing from Droplabs in an outdoor amusement park. Did it make it easier for him to become a pioneer in the ski slope industry as well? The decision was a little easier, however, the curiosity was huge: will the skiers react positively? Will the system work equally effectively in winter?
The dynamic pricing policy started in line with the season of December 27, 2024. Comparing the data from the same period of the previous year, the changes turned out to be not only noticeable, but even spectacular [1].
Business success
When implementing new solutions, many aspects are important, but one of the most important is the impact on the finances of the facilities. When implementing Dynamic Pricing from Droplabs to Baltic Switzerland, the data speaks for itself:
- Total ticket revenue (ticket office and online) increased by as much as 54%!
- More than half of this spectacular revenue growth is the result of a new pricing policy and changes in the offering. Nominally, in terms of the entire ski season, the increase in revenues as a result of the new pricing policy and changes in the offer is a seven-figure amount.
- Average revenue per visitor increased by 25%;
- Guests of the Baltic Switzerland, who had purchased passes online, decided to buy more expensive services and left at the property on average about 30 zł more than those who had a pass bought on the spot.
Droplabs not only delivers the system, but also offers full partner support — including assistance in setting pricing and sales strategies. It is the comprehensiveness of services together with the openness and hard work of the Baltic Switzerland team that allowed us to create a fully effective solution.
Imagine introducing a rigid 25% increase in ticket prices compared to the previous season. After all, the cost of maintaining the facility is increasing, and the season is getting shorter, so you need to take care of the budget. Do you think skiers would approach such a step with understanding? Some of the guests would be deterred by the price, and the dissatisfaction of the guests would be strongly reflected in the reviews. Dynamic Pricing makes buying a pass or ticket online always cheaper than at the box office and makes earlier purchases more rewarding with a lower price. Despite this, in the end, the average revenue per guest increases. This flexible approach allowed both to please the skiers and to make a profit, which, with a steep price increase, would be impossible to achieve.
Better traffic distribution
Finance is an extremely important aspect, however Dynamic Pricing from Droplabs is about something more — improving the operation of the entire center. Yes, to make everyday life easier for employees, owners and guests. The distribution of tourist traffic is a convenience for both parties. Last season, the highest density of ticket collection was between 11:00 and 12:00. In the 24'/25' season, the distribution of the use of passes was much more even - from 9:00 to 12:00. This is the result of modifications to the offer, including a stronger emphasis on all-day passes, which encouraged guests to arrive earlier and use the slope longer. We will describe the details in more detail later in the text.
Guests for longer, online mountain!
In the 2023/2024 season, only 7% of visitors chose all-day passes. A year later, this participation increased fourfold, to 28%. This incredible increase shows that with the right communication and the structure of the price offer, skiers are happy to stay longer.
It looks even more interesting considering the comparison online sales for in-store sales this season
- The chance that a skier has an all-day pass was 3 times higher among skiers with a pass purchased online than among skiers who bought a pass at the box office.
- This season, almost half of the total attendance was made up of skiers with a pass purchased online.
The data mentioned above also shows that online customers are often more determined and prepared visitors — and thus more profitable. We described in detail the benefits of transferring tickets to the Internet in tourist attractions in previous materials with the Bałtow Tourist Complex, such as: “Bałtowski Tourist Complex in cooperation with Droplabs — statement of the President of the Management Board, Filip Lichota”.
Effective marketing, better planning
The combination of Dynamic Pricing from Droplabs, together with effective marketing activities, changes in the offer and the involvement of the entire Baltic Switzerland team, resulted in an increase in the previous purchase impulse among the guests. Last season, almost no one bought passes in advance. In the 24/25 season, the situation changed dramatically:
- over 20% guests had a pass purchased at least one day in advance. In the previous season, the share of guests with a pass purchased in advance was less than 1%!
- nearly 2% with more than four days! (In the previous season, this figure was marginal — less than 0.1%)
This is the result of effective communication, an incentive to plan with your head and visible price differences.
Side effects? The positives alone
The effect of using Dynamic Pricing from Droplabs is also the ability to contact more customers. Thanks to the system of collecting marketing consents, the property has gained contact with up to 16% of guests! This means that Baltic Switzerland has the opportunity to present its offer directly to people who already know the place and have used it. The average rating on Google this season was more than half a “star” higher (rating 3.8 out of 4.5). Additionally, revenue from unused (purchased but unused) passes was approximately 1%. Interestingly, with an open and customer-friendly policy, the return of passes was less than 1%.
summary
Dynamic Pricing from Droplabs has not only proven itself — it has really changed the functioning of the ski resort. Baltic Switzerland has gained more predictable and even traffic, higher revenues, a more effective communication model and an expanded marketing contact base. It is the first ski resort in Poland with Dynamic Pricing system. Taking into account the aforementioned problems faced by winter tourist attractions, Dynamic Pricing from Droplabs is a revolutionary answer to the needs of the industry. This is indicated by all the results.
Footnotes
[1] Dynamic pricing policy launched 27.12.2024. Start of season 2024/2025:27.12.2024, 2023/2024:02.12.2023. The analysis period covers the dates from 2 December 2024 to 2 March 2025. Comparison with the same period of the previous year: 02.12.2023 — 03.03.2024.