Record breaking season 20-21 at Pyhä Ski resort

Heading into the coming season with the biggest investments in the resort's history

Pyhä ski resort has seen an increase in ski days of 25% compared to the previous full season 
of 2018-2019, and almost 50% growth compared to last season, which ended prematurely due 
to COVID-19 restrictions. The positive development in visitor amounts has created a need for additional accommodation capacity at Pyhä. The Kultakero project – an investment of 10 million euros – will increase Pyhä ski resort’s total investments to a record high of over 15 million euros over the coming season.

Pyhä ski resort has seen an increase in ski days of 25% compared to the previous full season 
of 2018-2019, and almost 50% growth compared to last season, which ended prematurely due 
to COVID-19 restrictions. The positive development in visitor amounts has created a need for additional accommodation capacity at Pyhä. 

The Kultakero project – an investment of 10 million euros – will increase Pyhä ski resort’s total investments to a record high of over 15 million euros over the coming season. The first phase of the project will see the construction of Kultakero 1, which will bring an additional 200 beds to Pyhä. The hotel is planned to open for Christmas 2022 and will offer 28 luxury hotel rooms and 14 apartments with scenic views and private outdoor jacuzzis. The apartments will be sold to private owners in line with the Ski-Inn ownership model.

— The demand for apartments has exceeded all our expectations, as all of them have already been reserved. Pyhä is currently in high demand and is attracting new visitors to the resort, says Ville Aho, CEO of Pyhätunturi Ltd and member of the company’s owner family.

Kultakero 1 will also house 400 square meters of brand-new equipment rental and retail space, which will bring the hotel area’s range of services to a new level.

— There is something special about Pyhä. There is just the right number of new projects, but not too many. Preserving the old is equally important as building the new when it comes to construction projects at the resort. The area’s accommodation capacity will remain moderate in relation to lift capacity despite these new developments. Avoiding congestion is a genuine competitive advantage for us, Aho continues.

The development of the Pyhä resort village is set to continue in summer of 2022 with the construction 40 hotel rooms on a new floor of the hotel. The second phase of the Kultakero project, which will extend construction to the north of the village next to the ski slopes, will begin once the new hotel floor has been built.

The third phase of the popular Pyhälinna Ski-Inn Chalet will begin in summer of 2021. An investment of over 2 million euros will bring four first-class log cabins and 40 new beds to the heart of the resort.

The objective is for the construction of Pyhä resort village to be fully completed by the year 2024.

PohjoisExpress – the most awaited chairlift in Finland

The new PohjoisExpress chairlift will transport 2 400 skiers per hour to the top of the fell in under 5 minutes. This means twice the number of customers in half the time that it takes with the current T-bar lift. In the spirit of Pyhä’s environmental sustainability programme, the lift will be bought used from Austria and will undergo basic renovation before being brought into use. Construction of the new lift will begin in May 2021, as soon as the snow melts.

— This must be the most eagerly awaited ski lift in the country. We have had so many requests for a fast chairlift to the north slopes, which is why it is so fantastic to be able to reveal that Pyhä’s visitors’ wishes have been heard, and the first skiers will be able to enjoy the new Express lift at Christmas 2021, Ville Aho says.
 

For more information about Pyhätunturi’s projects please contact:

CEO Ville Aho 
Tel: +358 400 895987, ville.aho@ruka.fi 

Rukakeskus corporation has overseen Ruka’s ski center operations since 1973 and Pyhä’s ski center operations since 1987. We are among Finland’s leading travel companies and market leader the ski resorts industry. Ruka was elected ski resort of the year in 2019 and became market leader during the 2019-2020 season. Pyhä was s elected ski resort of the year in 2017.

We operate in Ruka and Pyhä’s continuously developing travel centers, which are open year-round. Our core expertise is in ski center operations, but our business also includes accommodation, equipment rental and retail services in both resorts.

We employ approximately 160 people. Rukakeskus is a Finnish family business, which is owned in equal parts by the five siblings of the Aho family. The Aho Group – owned by the Aho family – also comprises Ski-Inn Hotels & Apartments Ltd and Aava Lääkärikeskus corporation.

Sustainable growth is key in both Ruka and Pyhä. We are pioneers of sustainable ski travel in Finland. Bothresorts are carbon neutral and part of the European Union’s Energy Efficiency Directive. Ruka and Pyhä are thefirst resorts in Finland to have been awarded the Sustainable Travel Finland certificates. We want to ensure that our guests can experience the joy of snow for years to come.