Because of the Depression Numerous Skiing Businesses Will Be Slashing Their Number of Catered Chalets
In light of the global recession snowboarding bookings dropped this winter.
Notwithstanding very good early on holiday sales coupled with first class skiing.
This reduction in no.s follows on from 6 winters of successive growth in the snowboarding industry, and the numbers shrunk from one million in 2008/9 to 950000 last winter.
Perhaps due to snowboarders giving the season a miss, and additional skiers who’d usually take two skiing holidays, only took the one.
A fall of 15% was experienced by the independent travel sector and several budget airlines cutting the no. of flights to several airports.
However tour operators saw their sales reducing by around 15% for ski holidays Europe.
Nevertheless, the leading companies market share stayed at just over 70% and the Alps in France remained the favourite destination with around 37% of holidays.
This meant that several major tour operators reduced the number of chalets they lease this coming season.
Luxury catered chalets will see a reduction in skiers in light of the fact that a catered chalet costs more in terms of staff and rental if it is not sold.
It seems unlikely we will see the type of special offers which were on the market last year.
Prices are likely to go up, they are unlikely to rise a lot.
Next winter beyond any doubt poses real issues for an industry which is impacted by the consequences of the depression, fall in the value of the pound, high fuel costs on top of high fixed running costs for skiing holiday companies.
This year skiers will become progressively cost aware, this shall lead to a turnabout of recent trends which witnessed a increase in the ski industry.
[Large-scale ski operators might well win back some of the customers lost to the independent sector if they utilise their buying-power to get lower prices and pass this to guests as tempting packages.
