Levi Ski Resort was awarded as the Best Ski Resort in Finland in the international World Ski Awards, the most prestigious awards program within the global ski tourism industry. Competing in the same category were also the Finnish ski resorts Ruka, Pyhä, Salla, Ylläs and Iso-Syöte.
In the World Ski Awards 2020, the international vote is public and takes place online on the organization’s website. Votes are cast by professionals working within the ski industry — senior executives, travel buyers, tour operators, agents and media — and by the public, the ski resorts’ customers.
“We are humbled by this international recognition to our efforts in providing our visitors with unforgettable skiing holidays and winter adventures in the Finnish Lapland. Internationally, Levi is known for the annual FIS Alpine World Cup races organized on our slopes since 2004,” says Levi Ski Resort CEO Jouni Palosaari.
Levi Ski Resort’s values focus on four key elements: the customer, being one of the industry’s pioneers, slope safety and the environment.
As one of the resort’s latest major investments, Levi Ski Resort built last year an ultra-modern and highly advanced Doppelmayr D-Line chairlift on the resort’s West Slopes. To serve skiers even better, the slopes surrounding the Levi West chairlift have undergone major improvements, including expansions to the slope area as well as enhancements to the snowmaking capacity and lighting on the slopes.
In the area surrounding the lower station of the Levi West chairlift, Levi Ski Resort plans to begin building an entire new section to the resort, the Levi West Point village. The construction is scheduled to begin next year. When completed, the new area will offer accommodation, restaurants and a significant amount of new commercial space.
“As a ski resort, Levi offers an internationally competitive, high-quality destination for skiers and snowboarders, with a perfect combination of slopes, snow parks and obstacles for both beginners and more experienced skiers. Our investments in opening the season extremely early – ensuring a long season – and in a versatile set of specialized practice courses bring alpine teams from all over the world to practice in Levi. What makes the recognition by the World Ski Awards so rewarding is that the award is in fact given by the customers, casting their vote to the resort that they are the happiest with,” comments Levi Ski Resort’s Commercial Director Marko Mustonen.
The northern nature and the vulnerability of the arctic environment are in the core of Levi Ski Resort’s values. The resort has an active role in caring for the Levi fell and strives to be an environmental pioneer within the industry.
As a recognition to our systematic work to preserve the arctic nature, Levi Ski Resort's environmental system received the international ISO 14001 environment certification in 2018 as the first ski resort in the Nordic countries. In August 2020, Levi Ski Resort was awarded with the Sustainable Travel Finland label for the resort’s valuable and long-term work for sustainable tourism.
Ski tourism plays a significant role in the global travel market. An estimated 400 million skier visits take place annually to approximately 2,500 ski resorts internationally. World Ski Awards is a sister organization of the World Travel Awards™, currently celebrating its 27th anniversary.