With climate change being felt all over ski resorts this season, Erna Low, a leading provider of fully customisable skiing and snowsports holidays, has released the findings of its latest survey. The survey, which collected responses from 1,000 nationally representative participants who ski and/or snowboard, looked at how they feel about the industry as a whole and what steps they are willing to take to protect the industry.
PHOTO: Sebastian Staines on Unsplash
The research shows that 92% of snowsports enthusiasts express concerns about climate change when booking their ski holidays, and as a result, said they would be willing to pay an average of 11% more for their ski holiday – if it helped to cut their carbon emissions.
This figure did differ across age groups – over 55s said they would be willing to dig deep to make a change, while millennials were a little below the UK average.
How much more would you be willing to pay for your ski holiday in order to cut your carbon emissions?
| Age | 16-24 | 25-34 | 35-44 | 45-54 | 55+ |
| Average | 9.77% | 11.08% | 11.78% | 11.75% | 15% |
Regionally, those in the West Midlands say they are prepared to pay the highest additional costs to help cut down the carbon emissions of their ski holiday. Those in the East of England, however, are least likely to want to part with more of their cash. Snowsports enthusiasts in the East said they would be happy to spend 9.85% more for their ski holiday if it would help to cut down emissions.
| Region | Average | ||
| East of England | 9.85% | ||
| Greater London | 11.71% | ||
| East Midlands | 10.96% | ||
| West Midlands | 13.25% | ||
| North East | 12.50% | ||
| North West | 11.07% | ||
| Northern Ireland | 11.43% | ||
| Scotland | 11.32% | ||
| South East | 10.83% | ||
| South West | 11.94% | ||
| Wales | 10.71% | ||
| Yorkshire and the Humber | 10% | ||
Speaking about the findings, Paul Lange, Sustainability Manager at Erna Low, said: “The survey results are extremely encouraging for the industry. Although many snowsports enthusiasts have clearly seen first-hand the impacts of climate change, this means they are fully aware of the impact of holiday choices. And as a result, they are willing to make changes, including paying more for a more eco-friendly holiday, to offset this to protect their passion.
“At Erna Low, we recognise the importance of addressing these challenges and we are committed to doing what we can as a business to contribute to mitigating policies and ensure eco-friendly awareness is promoted to protect the sustainability of the ski industry.”
Erna Low has developed a travel sustainability calculator to encourage this awareness and action within their own customer community. For more information on how this can be used and Erna Low’s wider efforts to combat the worrying effects of climate change, visit ernalow.co.uk/en-gb/sustainability/calculator
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