UK operators spend thousands taking on the French
Ski operators are spending tens of thousands of pounds fighting a decision by the French courts to block British companies from offering ski hosting services to clients in resorts amid fears that the ruling is leading to a fall in bookings for French destinations.
Andy Perrin, CEO of Inghams and sister operators Esprit and Ski Total, said they were "standing shoulder to shoulder" with Le Ski, whose ‘ski hosts’ were arrested in the French resort of Courchevel by French police last year and subsequently banned from continuing the practice by a court in nearby Albertville in February.
The case against Le Ski was brought by the French Public Ministry in conjunction with the French ski national ski school, the ESF.
All British tour operators have since suspended their ski hosting operations and but they are helping to foot Le Ski’s expensive legal bill to take the case to a court of appeal in Chambery this November. They have hired a top French lawyer and they were prepared to take the case all the way to the European court of appeal, said Perrin. "I have a very jaundiced view of how successful we will be in the French court; we will probably have to go to the European court."
Although ski hosting is only a small element of tour operator’s ski programmes, operators believe it’s important to fight for the right to be able to continue the service in French resorts. Inghams said some clients were already switching to resorts in other countries, such as Italy and Austria, where hosting is still allowed.
"A lot of guests are calling up and asking specific questions about where they can enjoy ski hosting, which has been very popular. This was a bad, bad decision by the French," added Perrin.
"We are also finding that people are refusing to book lessons with the ESF because of what they have done," said an Inghams spokesman. "They are telling us, book us lessons with anyone other than the ESF, we have had to go out and look for other ski schools."
He said Switzerland, which saw a rise in bookings last year, was likely to be one of the beneficiaries of the French action. However, France still accounts for almost a third of all UK ski bookings.
"We have to fight this decision by the French court otherwise where will it end?" he said. "This time it’s ski hosts they are targeting but will it be the chalet staff next?"
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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