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With the Met Office indicating that this winter will be colder than last and thus an increased likelihood of better snow conditions, the skiing season looks set for a bumper year. Indeed it is already off to a good start with December having been a great month for most European resorts.
According to the Ski Club of Great Britain’s annual Snowsports Analysis, the UK snowsports market is rising 3.4% year on year. There are now over 1.31 million people taking winter sports holidays from the UK.
Although there is steady growth in the tour operator market, it is the independent sector that is showing the largest growth with an increase of over 5 times year on year, a rise of 9.7%*. Aided by low cost airlines offering cheaper fares to a greater selection of winter destinations, along with an increase in those booking on line, more and more people are finding it easier to arrange their own trips. Couple this with the development of more affordable resorts in countries such as Bulgaria, Slovenia and Hungary and the possibility of a skiing break becomes more accessible.
More people are regularly taking a winter ski holiday as well as a summer break than ever before, but not all snow holidays need involve skiing. A more diverse selection of winter activities is increasingly on offer around the globe for those looking for something a little different.
Although downhill skiing continues to dominate this sector, there are other options. Apart from snowboarding, cross country and heliskiing, there is snowshoeing, ice fishing, tobogganing and sleigh rides as well as winter walks and hikes. France continues to be a favourite ski destination for the Brits but due to the favourable dollar exchange rate, the US and Canada are increasingly popular and Italy is the third most popular snow destination for British skiers and snowboarders.
The Ski Club of Great Britain’s Snowsports Analysis also noted an increase in visitors to Scandinavian areas and a demand for a wider range of winter activities. Winter tourism is of course big business in Sweden and Johan F Lundberg, Exhibition Manger of TUR comments that this year the bookings have greatly increased, both from Swedes and overseas visitors and that there are plans to offer new Swedish destination in the future.
For destinations further afield, try heliskiing in the remote Russian province of Kamchatka or skiing in the world’s most northerly resorts of Bjorkliden and Riksgransen, Lapland, deep in the Arctic Circle.
Anita Makela, Sales Manager of ITTFA member Matka, held in Helsinki, Finland each January, confirms the increased interest in Lapland. ”We have seen some growth in Finnish exhibitors, especially for the specialist winter tourism destinations in Lapland such as Levi, Ruka and Villas. Other areas that are proving popular are Northern Norway, Sweden and some Russian destinations.”
Skiexpo is another fair held in Helsinki, in the month of November and is specifically aimed at the winter sports and tourism market. This fair is the only such fair in the Nordic Countries and has been showing a strong growth in exhibitor numbers. It currently attracts over 50.000 visitors in three days.
In the US, while the summer vacation is common across all age and ethnic groups, the winter holiday traveller has a more distinct demographic profile, tending to be older adults, the affluent, and couples.
According to TIA, Travel Industry Associations of America, from 2000 to 2005, one in five leisure trips in the U.S. was taken during the winter. Summer and spring travel has traditionally accounted for the lions’ share of leisure trips, but winter holiday travel is slowly but surely growing in popularity. In fact, the number of winter leisure person-trips taken increased by 15% from 2000 to 2005, despite significant obstacles including airline computer failures and work stoppages and harsh winter storms.
Of course not everyone chooses to spend their winter holidays in the snow and many will be leaving the colder weather behind for the warmer climes of Southern Europe, Florida, Caribbean and parts of the Middle East. Whatever the destination, there is no doubt that more and more people are choosing a winter break in addition to the traditional summer one and thus there is plenty of scope for operators and providers to broaden their range of products on offer.
The Snowsports Analysis 2006 was compiled by the Ski Club of Great Britain using data from questionnaires sent to UK tour operators and transport companies following the 2006/7 season. This data was supported by other industry reports and information.
*The tour operator snowsports market is 1,008,000 and the independent snowsports market is 305,000.
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
