Winter sports industry, Italia on the podium in exports

Between skis and boots, clothing, footwear and equipment in the broadest sense, Mediobanca estimates a worldwide business of EUR 13.5 billion for this area, with growth expectations of six points during 2026.

Certainly a niche, within a global outdoor and sports macro sector estimated at 385 billion, but nevertheless capable of fuelling the growth of robust companies, as is also the case in Italia. Looking at the national production realities of the winter sports sector (selecting companies with revenues of over 19 million and over 50 employees), a turnover of 3.2 billion euros is estimated by 2024, with the employment of over 13 thousand workers and estimates for the year just ended that assume a growth of a couple of percentage points.

Industry concentrated in the North East, between Trentino Alto-Adige and Veneto, which together account for almost 90% of aggregate revenues. Values sustained both by winter sports plant and machinery manufacturers (ski lift and snowmaking systems, snow groomers and various machinery) and by the Asolo-Montebelluna district, now the world centre of gravity for the ski boot industry. At the top in terms of turnover is the Hti-High Technology Industries group, world leader in ski lift systems, with revenues of 1.4 billion euro. It is followed by Tecnica Group (517 million in 2024, a level surpassed last year), Fratelli Campagnolo (mountain clothing and equipment), TechnoAlpin (snowmaking) and Kappa (clothing). Companies that in their respective productions express a clear international competitive strength: in the ski equipment sub-category, exports account for almost 80% of revenues with higher peaks in several cases, such as Tecnica itself, where they exceed 93%. Winter sports also represent a significant boost for realities that do not have their core business here, as is the case of Spm of Lombardy, 350 employees and 40 million in revenues, which in addition to emblems and logos for cars (75% of revenues), makes poles for downhill runs and protection tools for the slopes. 'Our volumes at this stage are holding up thanks to sport,' explains president Giovanni Berutti, 'and the outlook is also positive. Taking into account the tenders we have already won to equip the 2027 World Cup in Switzerland and the 2029 World Cup in Norway'.