Value message critical as ski market returns to ‘familiar patterns’

After the bumper 2022/23 season, which saw skiers and snowboarders return to the slopes en masse for the first time since the onset of Covid-19, agents and operators tell TTG there are signs of “more normal” booking patterns for the year ahead.

But there are also indications that high inflation is impacting ski customers’ decisions in terms of which resort resorts they book this winter, as well as what sort of properties and on what board basis – particularly with the price of certain essentials, such as lift passes – having soared in some big-name resorts.

‘Familiar patterns’

Diane Palumbo, Skiworld sales and marketing director, told TTG overall sales "were not as good as this time last year”. But this was in comparison to the 2022/23 “super hero” season, which saw customers rush to book their first ski holidays in years.

“We’re now in a much more familiar booking pattern and we’re currently a little bit up on the pre-Covid seasons of 2018/19 and 2019/20,” she said. “There’s more availability now than a year ago, although flights are still tight and prices are higher. Overall prices are probably up by around 7-8% on average compared with last season, although on some dates that could go up to 12%.”