Ski tour operators and agents are reporting huge sales increases in advanced bookings for 2023/4.
Specialist ski and snowboard travel agency Skiline, reported a sales increase of 73% year on year during January 2023.
Skiline also saw an increase in the first three weeks of February. This suggests there is not a link to a Covid return-to-travel scenario, but rather a trend in skiers and snowboarders understanding the need to secure their choice of accommodation and flights well in advance.
While the numbers across the industry reflect the demand for skiing holidays during the ‘post Covid’ era, the question seems to be: ‘Why is this happening?’
Founder and MD of Skiline, Angus Kinloch, has noticed a trend that has formed during the past few years.
He said: “Our customers now want to secure the best chalets and accommodation deals well in advance, especially for the peak season weeks of New Year and February half term. Families, in particular, want good chalet accommodation over these dates and they know that if they don’t lock that down now, they will lose out.”
The consolidation of the chalet market since Brexit and wider EU employment legislation has meant fewer catered chalets are available. This has driven demand, Skiline is seeing growth in other areas, too.
Angus added: “Our Club Med product has gone from strength to strength and it offers an alternative to the traditional chalet holiday with its all-inclusive packages.
“We claim to be the first travel agent to offer Club Med skiing holidays in the UK and I don’t think many British skiers understood the product at first. Now we get so many repeat bookings from groups, couples and families, it really has become one of our strongest products.
“It’s a very international company, therefore our customers know that for the peak season weeks, they need to book quickly – especially travel. Club Med’s own charter flight for February half term week in 2024 sold out within four hours of launching.”
Chalet holidays are still popular and the key message from Kinloch remains the same: “We have obviously been advising our customers to book peak season dates well in advance for years and the canny ones understand that this isn’t simply marketing spiel.
“There has been a change in booking habits. People used to wait until summer to book. For groups or families wanting to secure the best chalets for those holiday weeks, they need to book now.
“There are fewer chalets available, yet the chalet concept remains highly popular. The cull in chalets isn’t down to consumer demand; it’s driven by a combination of factors, including Brexit and Covid.”
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