Partly Due to the down Turn Several Ski Companies Will Be Cutting Their Amount of Catered Chalets
In light of the credit crunch ski reservations dropped this season.
Even with excellent pre season reservations coupled with superb skiing conditions.
This fall in numbers follows on from seven winters of continuous growth in the snowboarding industry, and the number of snowboarders went down from 1.25. 1.3 million in 2008/9 to less than a million last season.
Partly due to snowboarders giving the season a miss, while additional snowboarders who’d generally have two skiing holidays, just took the one.
The independent travel sector fell by 15% and a handful low cost airlines reducing the amount of routes to some destinations.
Tour operators witnessed the sales going down by about the same amount.
Nonetheless, the top six companies market share rested at 71% and the French Alps remained the favorite ski destination with about 37% of the market.
This meant that many tour operators cut the total number of catered chalets they operate this coming winter.
Catered ski holidays will surely witness a a drop in numbers due to the fact that a catered ski chalet costs the operator more with regards to chalet chefs and lease if it is unoccupied.
It’s unlikely therefore that we shall benefit from the type of special offers which were up for grabs last winter.
And prices are in all likelihood to increase, prices probably won’t rise much.
Next winter undoubtedly poses real challenges for the skiing industry which is influenced by the effects of the depression, weakness of the pound against the euro, high costs of fuel and high fixed costs for ski holiday companies.
This winter snowboarders will become more and more cost sensitive, which will lead to a reversion of the last years that witnessed a increase in the ski industry.
