Industry News
Italy’s Dolomiti Superski has proposed a €30 million ($35 million) compensation plan for skiers as part of an ongoing antitrust investigation into alleged price fixing and restrictions on competition. The offer is already drawing criticism from consumer groups as being too low.
Italy’s competition authority, Autorità Garante della Concorrenza e del Mercato, has been examining whether the consortium, along with its 12 affiliated regional operators across Trentino-Alto Adige and Belluno, coordinated ski pass pricing and sales policies in a way that limited market competition. The investigation, first launched in 2025, centers on claims that Dolomiti Superski set unified prices across its vast network and restricted third-party sales — practices that could violate both Italian competition law and broader European Union regulations.
In response, the consortium has proposed a two-part compensation scheme covering the 2022-23, 2023-24, and 2024-25 ski seasons. The plan offers two options: a cash refund worth roughly 20% of the original purchase or a larger, 30% credit toward future ski passes. However, the funds are split into fixed pools: €12 million for cash refunds and €18 million for vouchers, raising concerns about how widely the compensation will actually reach. Access to refunds would not be automatic; instead, skiers must apply through a dedicated portal launching later this year and provide proof of purchase, a process that could prove difficult for those without records or traceable transactions.
The proposal has been sharply criticized by the Italian consumer protection agency “Assoutenti,” which called the plan “not enough,”arguing that the “first come, first served” system means many eligible skiers could miss out entirely once funds are exhausted. The structure also incentivizes vouchers over cash, effectively encouraging consumers to spend more within the system to maximize their benefit, the group highlighted. According to Assoutenti president Gabriele Melluso, the plan fails to address the core issue of rising prices, noting that Dolomiti Superski day passes have increased by more than 28% since 2021. Without any commitment to reduce future prices, critics say the proposal risks compensating only a fraction of affected skiers while leaving the underlying concerns unresolved.
The process also requires skiers to take the initiative. By October 15, 2026, Dolomiti Superski plans to launch a dedicated online portal where individuals must register and prove their eligibility to claim compensation. “This is a solution that does not satisfy us,” Melluso said, adding that the approach risks excluding many affected skiers. He suggests that the conglomerate’s offer is “purely symbolic.”
Dolomiti Superski spans over 1,200 square miles in the Italian Alps and connects 12 ski areas across the provinces of South Tyrol, Trentino, and Belluno.With more than 745 miles of groomed ski runs, 450 lifts, 889 runs, it is the largest lift-linked ski network on the planet. The resorts on the Superski pass offer endless vistas across Northern Italy’s stunning Dolomites. Some of the most notable views can be found from the top of the Marmolada Glacier, the Sass Pordoi cable car in Val di Fassa, and on top of the Tognola Gondola in San Martino di Castrozza. The interconnected resorts offer one of the most famous ski-loops in the world, the Sella Ronda, which goes 26 miles (42 kilometers) around the Sella Massif through four resorts. It can be skied clockwise or counterclockwise in a single day using one ski pass. Dolomiti Superski has long promoted its unified pass system as a model of regional cooperation. But regulators are now scrutinizing whether that coordination crossed into anti-competitive territory.
The outcome of the case could have significant implications not only for the Dolomites but also for similar multi-resort ski pass systems across Europe, where shared ticketing models are increasingly common. Since this is an ongoing investigation by Italy’s competition authority, Autorità Garante della Concorrenza e del Mercato, Dolomiti Superski declined to comment so as not to interfere with this process.
