In light of the global recession ski accomodation occupancies decreased last ski season.
Notwithstanding good pre season holiday reservations and great skiing conditions.
These drops in skiers comes after 6 years of sequential growth within the skiing industry, and the number of vacationers shrunk from 1.1 million in 2008/9 to under a million last winter.
Partly due to holiday makers giving their annual skiing break a miss, and additional skiers who’d generally have two skiing holidays, just had one.
A fall of 15% was experienced by the independent travel sector and a handful low priced airlines slashing the number of airplanes to some airports.
Moreover tour operators saw the bookings decreasing by around 15%.
Still, the top operators share stayed at just over 70% and France continued to remain the most visited holiday destination with around 37% of the skiing market.
Due to this several ski operators lowered the total number of luxury ski chalets they operate this winter.
The catered chalet markets will surely witness a reduction in skiers in light of the fact that a luxury catered chalet costs more for the tour operator in terms of employees and rent when it is not occupied.
It’s unlikely therefore that we shall see the deals that were around this season.
Although costs are probably going to to augment, prices probably won’t increase a lot.
The 2009/10 winter without doubt presents grave problems for the skiing industry that is impacted by the effects of the down turn, exchange rate, high fuel costs on top of high fixed running costs for ski holiday companies.
This winter skiers will become progressively cost sensitive, this will contribute to a turnabout of the recent years that witnessed a development in independent travel.
Large tour operators might well re gain the customers lost to the independent travel sector if they utilise their purchasing power to get better costs and pass these onto consumers as tempting deals.
