Ski market sees highest growth in five years
The UK ski market grew by 7% last winter, the largest single-year growth since the winter of 2000/2001, according to the Ski Industry Report 2006 by Crystal Ski.
More than 1.15m ski holidays were bought in the UK last winter, 40% more than in the mid-80s, a period often regarded as the hey-day of British skiing.
The operator bases its report on tour operators’ own statistics, AC Nielson’s TravelTrack market research, CAA published statistics, tourist office figures and travel agency feedback.
Tour operators grew their customers from 400,000 to 430,000, mainly due to a late Easter which allowed them to add extra capacity.
Crystal Ski carried 160,000 passengers in 2005/06, up from 148,000, while Inghams carried 120,000, up from 112,000.
The gap between the top two operators and the next four has widened further.
According to the report, the mid-sized companies all experienced below-trend growth, except Neilson which has knocked First Choice off the number four spot.
Crystal said the growth in the ski market was also down to the increasing number of independent travellers, which increased from 9% from 330,000 to 356,000.
No-frills airlines carried 947,000 passengers to ski destinations, just above the levels of 2003/04, and regular scheduled airlines saw slight growth to 1,150.000.
The number of skiers choosing America and Canada was up by 30%, partly due to easier and cheaper accessibility.
But France remains the most popular ski destination, taking 36.3% of UK skiers, up by 0.2%.
Austria maintained its market share of 20.1%, while Switzerland grew (by 0.4%) as did Bulgaria, Slovenia, Serbia and Finland.
Italy’s market share fell from 15.7% to 14% but the destination remains in third place, while Andorra, in fourth place, fell from 13.7% to 11.9%,
Looking forward, the report said high fuel costs and a late Easter would hit bookings this winter, but on the upside the strength of the pound against the dollar promises further growth of US and Canadian markets.
By Bev Fearis
Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
Turkish tourism stalls due to soaring prices for accommodation and food
CCS Insight: eSIMs ready to take the travel world by storm
Germany new European Entry/Exit System limited to a single airport on October 12, 2025
Airlines suspend Madagascar services following unrest and army revolt
Qatar Airways offers flexible payment options for European travellers