Nicolas Bresch, managing director for UK & Nordics at Club Med, shares his confidence ahead of the upcoming ski season
As we face a global cost-of-living crisis, there is no denying that holidays play a big part in the majority of people’s lives. The upcoming winter sports season is our first undisrupted season in three years and based on the booking trends we are already seeing, we are confident it’s going to be record-breaking.
While this winter sports season will provide the opportunity for many ski enthusiasts to return to the snow without disruption, it’s important that we at Club Med remain mindful of the current economic climate and the challenges many people are facing this winter.
As a holiday provider, we’re aware that we must continue to offer incredible value for money and deliver experiences that provide memories for a lifetime.
A family ski holiday can be costly. It’s why we continue to offer competitive deals and sales with our sales openings guaranteeing guests up to 15% off on a number of its resorts. It’s also why, with prices and currencies fluctuating constantly during these uncertain times, we’ve promised our customers that the price of their holidays will not change after booking, something that many of our competitors are unable to offer.
The findings of our tenth annual ski report, The Economy of Ski: The Financial Factors Impacting the Upcoming Season, could not have come at a better time. While we understand that budgets are being squeezed more so than usual, it has made us optimistic for the winter 2022/23 season.
Despite some people opting to forgo their winter sports holiday this year, our research found that 55% of those polled are still going ahead. However, as to be expected given the current economic climate, people are looking more closely at value for money. Of those polled, 40% of respondents stated this as the single most important factor.
France came out on top as the destination that is perceived to be the best value for money and this is a trend that has been echoed by our own data. Sales at our French resorts are up 36% year-on-year with our most popular resorts including Les Arcs Panorama, Alpe d’Huez, and the new Tignes resort, opening in December of this year.
We were encouraged to see within our research that 60% of frequent skiers are planning on spending more on their winter sports holiday this year. In addition to this, respondents are prepared to spend on average £1,979 per person, an increase of 53% (£689) compared to average spending for the 2021/22 season.
When it comes to accommodation options, this year is the first time that the all-inclusive model has proven the most popular, overtaking self-catering for the 2021/22 season. One of the key benefits of an all-inclusive holiday is that customers can feel safe in the knowledge that they will not be hit with additional costs after booking.
While initially, the prices might seem high, we believe that the all-inclusive model will prove favourable as consumers balance the cost of living crisis with their desire to travel.
We found that our own data also supports the findings, with the average order value of a Club Med winter sports holiday increasing by 9% year-on-year. Additionally, we will be opening our first-ever Exclusive Collection resort, Val d’Isere, at the start of the 2022/23 season, and with the resort currently at 70% capacity for its opening month (December), we know that the appetite and demand for luxury holidays is continuing to increase.
Whether you’re a ski enthusiast or a beginner, there is no denying that the cost-of-living crisis will have an impact on the way you book your holidays.
In spite of this and as we look ahead to the upcoming season, our research has shown that the appetite for winter sports holidays is well and truly there. We’re confident that Brits will be able to enjoy their first undisrupted season on the slopes in three years.