Ski sales up after four years of decline
Ski bookings look set to grow again after hitting rock bottom two years ago, according to Crystal, the UKs largest winter sports operator.
Presenting the company’s annual Trend Report, managing director Simon Cross said the overall ski market was up 1% last winter, the first positive growth following four seasons of decline.
He said the ski market finally "turned the corner" last season due to fantastic snow across Europe, Christmas and New Year’s Day falling midweek and an early Easter holiday in March.
"After four years of decline, we saw a little bit of growth and that is fabulous news," he said, "it is modest growth, but growth is growth."
An extra 5000 Brits took a ski holiday last winter, boosting the market to just a shade under 900,000, the first increase since the peak in 2007/08. However, the increase came mainly from London and the southeast; bookings in Scotland and the northeast were level year on year and elsewhere they were down on the previous year.
TUI Ski remained the market leader with Crystal and sister brand Thomson claiming a combined 41% share. Ingham’s parent Hotelplan grew its share 1% after seeing all three of its brands, Inghams, Esprit and Ski Total, grow last year.
Thomas Cook-owned Neilson saw its ski sales crash 15.9% last year, but the operator – which is believed to be up for sale – remains the third largest in the UK with a 12% share of the market.
Cross said the student market grew slightly last winter, but the schools market, which has been in decline for a number of years, fell a further 2% to 115,700.
To try to bring more youngsters into the sport, Crystal is making its popular learn to ski for free packages available to children for the first time next winter.
France remains the most popular with British skiers. It increased its share of the market from 34.6% to 34.8% last winter due, said Cross, to improved self-catering accommodation at the higher end of the market and "added value" offers.
Austria, Andorra, Switzerland and Scandinavia also saw a slight increase in the number of skiers from the UK last winter. Cross said Crystal would return to Norway next winter.
Bookings to the United States were down, especially to Colorado, while Canada grew its market share through "exceptional marketing campaigns", said Cross.
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
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