If you run a business in the winter sports industry and you’re just a little bit of a geek, then you’ll be interested in the findings of the Crystal Ski Industry Report, published yesterday.
It’s worth noting that the word ‘ski’ is used as a generic term for the whole winter sports market, and the results of the report have important consequences for businesses operating in the whole industry, including those here in Morzine. You can read the whole report at the bottom of this blog, but to summarise…
- The total ski market grew by 1% when compared to the previous year – 899,700 people took a ski holiday in 12/13 compared to 894,700 in 11/12.
- Independent travel (where holiday makers book elements of their holiday such as travel and accommodation themselves, instead of using a tour operator) increased by 1%
- France continues to be the most popular country for ski holidays in Europe, and visitor numbers to French ski resorts increased by 0.2% on the previous year.
- The South East and the North West regions of the UK saw a growth in ski passenger volumes during the last winter season, while areas such as the South West, the Midlands and Wales saw a decrease in passenger volumes.
- The school ski market continues to decline, while the university ski trip market grew slightly.
- The ban on ski guiding is likely to affect the number of ski travellers to France during this coming winter, but tour operators such as Crystal have developed innovative ways to provide a ‘social skiing’ service to their clients, lessening the impact.
Read the full Crystal Ski Industry Report
