The UK ski market shrank 11% to fewer than one million passengers last year. France, by far the biggest destination for British skiers, took a hit as cost-conscious customers defected to similar but less expensive resorts in Austria and Italy.
The good news is that operators are trying to tempt skiers back to the slopes with some great deals.
Both countries are expected to sell well again this winter as they continue to offer better value than France. For example, Crystal Ski is offering a week’s half-board at a three-star hotel in the Italian resort of Sestriere for £629, whereas a week at a similar hotel in the French resort of La Plagne costs £959.
Skiers choosing the Austrian resort of Ellmau over the French resort of Val d’Isere could save £260 on accommodation, ski hire and lift passes, even though both resorts boast a similar-sized ski area.
As a result of the drift in demand, operators have expanded their offering in Austria and Italy. Neilson has added Ischgl in Austria, good for varied terrain and lively nightlife. Crystal is featuring family and beginner-friendly Igls, close to Innsbruck and Niederau, and Obertauern, Austria’s only purpose-built resort.
Inghams has added Innsbruck, and Thomson has added Schladming, host for the 2013 World Ski Championships.
In Italy, Crystal, Thomson and First Choice are featuring Pragelato, a newly-developed resort that links into the huge ‘Milky Way’ ski terrain via the town of Sestriere, Folgarida, which gives cheap access to the stylish resort of Madonna di Campiglio and Santa Cristina, which is part of the vast Dolomiti Superski area. Inghams has added Arabba, which is also in the Dolomites.
Other countries to consider when selling to skiers on a budget are eastern European destinations: Bulgaria, Romania, Slovenia and Slovakia. Spain is also a cheap option and is the only destination Cosmos is featuring in its first-ever ski programme.
Cosmos is featuring the Pyrenean resort of Formigal. Prices start from £499 for a week’s half-board in a three-star hotel.
Though France lost 4% market share last winter, it is still the most popular destination among British skiers, but it’s the smaller, cheaper resorts that are tipped to do well.
Self-catering specialist Pierre & Vacances reported an average 17% increase on bookings made for lesser-known resorts such as Les Coches, Les Carroz and Valloire.
All-inclusives
The major players expect all-inclusive deals to prove popular with customers who want to know their budget before they go.
After testing its Ski Plus all-inclusive concept in a handful of resorts last winter, Crystal has expanded the offering to 38 resorts. The operator reckons the ski-inclusive packages offer savings of up to £197 per person.
Crystal’s sister brand First Choice Ski has also launched all-inclusive packages, with prices starting at £419 for a week in Andorra. Neilson reports an increased demand for full-board, half-board and chalet packages, and offers ski-inclusive packages starting from £385 per person for flights, transfers, accommodation, lift passes and equipment hire.
Short breaks
Mini breaks are growing in demand, both as an addition to the traditional week-long ski holidays and also as a cheaper alternative, especially for those who can travel mid-week during school term-time.
In the past, operators only offered short breaks to the easily-accessible French resorts, but have now included Austria, Italy, Switzerland and even Bulgaria
and Slovenia.
Neilson is offering four and five-night breaks in January to Austria, Italy, Bulgaria and France from £199. Tui has expanded the short breaks offering to its First Choice Ski programme, which now offers four, five and six-night durations from 13 airports to 44 destinations.
Good value resorts
Look out for bijou resorts that link into large ski areas, such as the French destination of Samoens, which has made an appearance in the mainstream operators’ brochures for the first time this winter.
Just one hour from Geneva airport, Samoens is a traditional mountain village that shares the vast Grand Massif ski terrain with the better-known but more expensive resort of Flaine. Inghams has added Samoens with prices starting from £279 for five nights’ self-catering including flights and transfers.
Les Orres 1800 in the southern French Alps, added by Crystal and First Choice, is a new purpose-built resort with 56 miles of pistes, so is good for beginners and intermediates. Packages start at £388 for a week self-catering with First Choice including flights.
Andorra, which priced itself out of the budget market a few years ago, has swung back into fashion after the regional government decided to give better support to UK operators, enabling them to cut prices. First Choice Ski’s cheapest package is a week self-catering in Arinsal, Andorra, from £325 per person.
Romania is up and coming, according to eastern European specialist Balkan Holidays. The operator has added a third hotel, the three-star Hotel Bradul. Prices start at £876 for a week’s half-board in January.
