Ski tour operators should not be concerned about growth in no-frills capacity to ski resorts, says Crystal Holidays.
The annual Crystal Ski Industry Report revealed an 18% year-on-year rise in no-frills capacity for winter 2006/07.
Product and marketing director Gareth Crump said much of the no-frills growth is to Geneva and has been driven by business travellers rather than skiers.
He added that customers booking with no-frills carriers were having difficulty finding decent hotels or chalets as most only work with ski operators.
“Ski accommodation is about location, location, location as far as the customer is concerned and traditional operators can meet their needs.
“Low-cost airlines cannot offer the same variety of durations as we can, which is becoming a bigger factor in the European market.”
The growth in no-frills services to ski destinations increased overall short-haul capacity by 6% last winter, while capacity of vertically integrated companies and independent airlines fell by 2%.
Crump added the number of UK ski passengers rose 3% to 1.2 million between the 2005/06 and 2006/07 seasons. The schools market was up 2.3%.
In Europe, growth was slower due to lack of snow and negative media coverage, with France increasing its share of the ski market by 1.4% to 37.1%.
North America’s share rose by just 0.1% to 7.9%, mainly due to limited air capacity and longer flight times.