French resorts are top of the slopes, reports holiday home specialist. France tops list of most popular ski destinations, with Morzine the winning resort. Andorra sees biggest year on year hike in demand, up 32 per cent.
LONDON, UK – As the ski season gets underway, holiday home specialist, Owners Direct reveals the most popular resorts for Britons looking to pound the powder this winter.
Figures from the holiday home specialist and currency provider, Caxton FX, have revealed that demand for ski holidays is climbing high, with Caxton FX reporting that the volume of currency purchased for ski-related trips is up 59 per cent on last year.
“British skiers are opting for the more affordable Euro-zone resorts, over the US and Switzerland, with the number of US dollars purchased for ski this year down on 2013,” says James Hickman, Managing Director of Caxton FX. Figures for US Dollars are reportedly down 73 per cent on last year and the number of Swiss Francs bought this year is down 58 per cent since 2012. “In contrast, the volume of Euros purchased for ski-related trips is up 64 per cent, year on year. Brits really are making the most of being closer to home where the pound has significantly strengthened against the Euro.”
Owners Direct, which provides a more affordable way to ski for families and groups of friends, by offering self-catering holiday homes in all the major resorts, has revealed that France is the most popular destination, accounting for 87 per cent of all ski enquiries for winter 2014/15. Austria and Switzerland remain popular, although demand for both is down on last year and Andorra has seen a significant hike in popularity with enquiries up 32 per cent on last season.
“France is the clear winner among British skiers this season,” says Erica Chang, Senior Regional Director, Owners Direct. “Demand for ski accommodation in France has risen year-on-year and our ‘Top 10 Ski Resorts’ are all French. Morzine is the number one choice for Britons and demand for this resort is up 16 per cent on last year. Val Thorens, Meribel and La Plagne have also experienced a big leap in demand versus last season, whereas Chamonix has seen demand fall by 23 per cent and it has dropped from position four to position nine in our ‘Top 10’.”
2014/15 Top 10 Ski Resorts
1. Morzine
2. Les Gets
3. Les Arcs
4. Samoens
5. La Plagne
6. Meribel
7. Tignes
8. Chatel
9. Chamonix
10. Val Thorens
Owners Direct is putting the heightened demand for snowy escapes down to the balmy temperatures that the UK has enjoyed this year, particularly during the hazy autumn, which has made holidaymakers crave the crisp chill of the slopes even more than usual. Its figures have also revealed that December is the most popular month for travellers to take a ski holiday, accounting for almost half of the total enquiries for the 2014/15 season, followed by February, with many opting to take their ski break during the school holidays.
“Holiday homes are particularly appealing for families, whose travel dates are often restricted to the Christmas and February half-term school holidays, because they offer a more affordable way to enjoy a ski holiday than a hotel or catered chalet and allow the whole family to stay together,” continues Erica Chang.
Owners Direct has more than 3,400 ski properties to rent this season, spanning France, Austria, Switzerland, Bulgaria, Andorra, Italy and Finland.
|
Ranking |
Country |
% share of total enquiries |
% increase/decrease in enquiries in the 2014/15 season compared with the 2013/14 season |
|
|
1 |
France |
87% |
5% |
|
|
2 |
Austria |
5.6% |
-18% |
|
|
3 |
Switzerland |
4.5% |
-8% |
|
|
4 |
Bulgaria |
1.2% |
-30% |
|
|
5 |
Finland |
0.5% |
-2% |
|
|
6 |
Andorra |
0.4% |
32% |
|
|
7 |
Italy |
0.3% |
-3% |
|
|
Ranking |
2013/14 |
% Share of Enquiries |
2014/15 |
% Share of Enquiries |
Year on year % Increase/decrease in enquiries for the 2014/15 top 10 resorts |
||
|
1 |
Morzine |
21% |
Morzine |
24% |
Morzine |
16% |
|
|
2 |
Les Gets |
7% |
Les Gets |
7% |
Les Gets |
-5% |
|
|
3 |
Les Arcs |
5% |
Les Arcs |
4% |
Les Arcs |
-12% |
|
|
4 |
Chamonix |
4% |
Samoens |
4% |
Samoens |
6% |
|
|
5 |
Samoens |
4% |
La Plagne |
4% |
La Plagne |
36% |
|
|
6 |
La Plagne |
4% |
Meribel |
4% |
Meribel |
47% |
|
|
7 |
Tignes |
3% |
Tignes |
4% |
Tignes |
19% |
|
|
8 |
Chatel |
3% |
Chatel |
4% |
Chatel |
25% |
|
|
9 |
Meribel |
3% |
Chamonix |
3% |
Chamonix |
-23% |
|
|
10 |
Courchevel |
3% |
Val Thorens |
3% |
Val Thorens |
39% |
|
|
Month |
December 2014 |
January 2015 |
February 2015 |
March 2015 |
|
% share of total enquiries |
48% |
13% |
33% |
6% |
Photo caption: Chalet Verbisse, Oweners Direct.
Tatiana is the news coordinator for TravelDailyNews Media Network (traveldailynews.gr, traveldailynews.com and traveldailynews.asia). Her role includes monitoring the hundreds of news sources of TravelDailyNews Media Network and skimming the most important according to our strategy.
She holds a Bachelor's degree in Communication & Mass Media from Panteion University of Political & Social Studies of Athens and she has been editor and editor-in-chief in various economic magazines and newspapers.
