In Part Due to the down Turn a Lot of Snowboarding Operators Will Be Reducing Their Amount of Catered Chalets
In light of the global recession snowboarding occupancies lowered this season.
In spite of very good pre season bookings along with superb snow.
This reduction in skiers follows on from 7 years of growth within the ski industry, and the numbers decreased from 1.2 million two winters ago to 950000 last year.
This is partly due to skiers giving their annual snowboarding vacation a miss, whilst additional holiday makers who’d normally take two or more skiing trips, merely took the one.
The independent travel sector fell by 15% and numerous low cost airlines slashing the number of flights to several airports.
However tour operators witnessed the numbers decreasing by about the same amount.
However, the top tour operators share stayed at 71% and the French Alps, and Chamonix in particular, remained the most visited holiday destination with nearly 40% of the English ski market.
This meant that several ski operators reduced the amount of luxury ski chalets they run this coming season.
Catered chalets in particular are going to see a fall in holiday makers in light of the fact that a catered ski chalet costs more for the tour operator in terms of employees and rental when it is unoccupied.
Therefore it is unlikely we shall benefit from the last minute special offers that were on the market last year.
Costs are in all likelihood to rise, they probably won’t rise much.
The 2009/10 season presents real problems for an industry that is impacted by the events of the depression, fall in the value of the pound, high fuel costs and high fixed operating costs for ski businesses.
