Mt Ruapehu Introduces Bulk Lift Pass Sale

Media release
Friday, 11 July 2003

Launching a new concept for the NZ ski industry, Ruapehu Alpine Lifts (RAL) is selling 5,000 discounted Daily Lift Passes from 8am Monday 14 July to entice skiers and boarders to Mt Ruapehu for one of the quietest mid-weeks of the season.

The set number of heavily discounted Daily Lift Passes can only be brought online at www.mtruapehu.com and are for use on any of the weekdays of Monday 21 July to Friday 25 July - the week immediately following the school holidays.

The sale is a 2-for-1 offer of two adult Daily Lift Passes for $62. The full price of a single adult Daily Lift Pass is normally $62.

"We are trialling the sale for specific weeks when skier numbers on the mountain are traditionally lowest," says RAL marketing manager Mike Smith.

"Usually the few days after the July school holidays are some of the quietest on the mountain so a Lift Pass sale to encourage people to the region at a time when we have extra capacity makes sense for customers and the whole Ruapehu community.

"It's a concept similar to that used by airlines to fill spare capacity by selling a set number of discounted seats for off-peak periods."

In 2000 RAL was the first to introduce discounted Season Passes to the market, a concept that dramatically changed Lift Pass purchasing trends across the industry. It made skiing much more affordable for regular skiers and boarders and is now standard practice across the major ski operators.

"The idea of selling heavily discounted Season Passes early in the year has worked extremely well and we are expecting a day pass sale of this nature to be well received also," says Mr smith.

"Placing 5,000 discounted passes on the market is a way of making the most of the huge lift capacities Whakapapa and Turoa have. The weekends are exceptionally busy but it's the weekdays when we have capacity. This is a way of encouraging people to come and enjoy the midweek experience."

The sale only applies to an Adult All Lifts All Day Pass. They are available for purchase online only at www.mtruapehu.com with a maximum of two 2-for-1 passes per customer purchase.

Buyers will be issued a receipt with a unique number that they present at either Turoa or Whakapapa Ski Areas to receive their daily pass.

Ends

© Scoop Media