Kerching….why you should sell winter sports holidays

We’re sure you’ve already got enough on your plate selling winter sun, summer 2014, cruises, round-the-world trips and staycations but here are 10 compelling reasons to find the time to push snowsports holidays.

1: You can make a lot of money.

Ski holidays aren’t cheap, skiers typically spend more than £500 a head on the booking, and as the majority of skiers tend to travel with groups of friends there’s plenty of commission-earning potential in a single transaction.  Plus, see below.

2: Skiers take more than one holiday a year.

Put quite simply, skiing is as addictive as smoking, alcohol and gambling, so once you get your clients hooked they’ll keep coming back for that next big fix. Nearly 50% of skiers who responded to a recent Ski Club consumer survey – the largest into the snowsports market since 2010 – said they’d spent more than 20 weeks skiing and 42% of skiers said they took a short break in addition to a longer ski holiday.

3: There’s no hard sell.

At least half of skiers are very experienced (see above), so they know where and when they want to go, you don’t need to talk them into anything, just provide them with the right product at the right price. Sorted. If you know nothing about skiing, don’t panic, pass them on to a specialist operator and let them do the talking.

4: Market is less price-sensitive than others.

Price is only the third most important factor for skiers when choosing their holiday, according to the Ski Club research. First come guaranteed snow (no big surprise there) and second is the size of the ski area. As resorts that offer the greatest amount of skiing also tend to be the most expensive (think 3 Valleys, the Espace Killy and the Paradiski in France) then clearly skiers are not fussed about saving a bob or two.

Also, 77% of skiers said they would return to France, even though it did not rank highly for value for money. On the other hand, Andorra was considered to offer good VFM, but only 45% said they would return.

5: The majority of bookings fall outside peak weeks.

Admittedly the ski season is relatively short but the peak weeks – Christmas, New Year, February half-term and Easter – don’t necessarily offer the best ski conditions so 56% travel in the off-peak weeks, all of which have unique selling points – pre-Christmas skiing is good for quiet slopes and cheaper lift passes, January is typically the coldest month with the best quality snow, March and April can be lovely and warm.

6: It’s great for families.

Next time a family book their annual summer holiday, why not ask them if they’ve thought of skiing next winter and potentially get two bookings out of them instead of one.

7: It’s not only for youngsters.

There’s a misconception that skiing and boarding is only for youths with bendy bodies, baggy clothes and serious attitude.  This is not true. Ski Club research shows that 75% of those who will go skiing this winter are over 40, 16% are over 60.

8: After years of decline, the snowsports market is growing. Honestly.

The Ski Club research found that the number of skiers is growing. Of the 21,000 respondents, 17% who had never skied before expressed an interest in skiing. Of the 6,000 who described themselves as "lapsed skiers", 22% said they would go skiing this season and three-quarters said they would go again within the next three years. And 21% of skiers said they will take more ski holidays over the next five years than in the previous five.

9: Dedicated skiers will ALWAYS go skiing, ignoring economic disaster & financial ruin to hit the slopes, year after year.

The Ski Club’s research found that 95% of those who skied last season intend to ski again this year while three-quarters of those who have been skiing in the past three years intend to go again this year  Enough said.

10: The winter Olympics.

Just as London 2012 got us all running, swimming and performing dressage on our ponies, the forthcoming Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia is expected to inspire a whole new generation of winter sports enthusiasts. Seriously, it might not drive hundreds more customers through your doors, but it just might stir up some interest and if you only get one new customer as a result, at least you’ll know there’s a good chance you’ll hang on to them for life. See above.