WHAT’S THE STATE OF PLAY?
Although there are many factors that can still affect the skiing industry, the season looks bright, according to Simon McIntyre, general manager – ski at Iglu, Britain’s largest independent skitravel agency. In the six weeks to mid-July, business was up 50% on last year, although cost-of-living fears were steering people towards less-expensive deals.
“There are emerging trends, likely driven by the economy, with customers looking to Austria and Italy for better value,” says Simon. “Over three months, Italy, Austria and Bulgaria’s share of enquiries rose 15% compared with 2019. Average prices for Italy are 10% less than in France.
“The cost of living hasn’t affected demand, but skiers are looking for extra value, be that half-board hotels or all-inclusive holidays with lift passes.”
Iglu sells a large proportion of all UK ski holidays — including last-minute deals — and McIntyre foresees a “strong late market” due to economic factors. But he predicts greater availability given that spring ski trips were hard to come by last season due to rebookings from previous seasons. “By
