In Light of the Depression Several Snowboarding Operators Are Cutting Their Amount of Luxury Catered Ski Chalets
Due to the credit crunch ski reservations fell this winter.
Even with very good early season reservations along with brilliant skiing conditions.
These reductions in holidaymakers comes after seven winters of sequential growth within the snowboarding industry, and the numbers contracted from 1.15 million two winters ago to less than a million last ski season.
Perhaps due to skiers giving the season a miss, whilst other skiers who would typically take 2 snowboarding holidays, just had the one.
Sales for the independent travel sector fell by 15% with a handful low priced airlines slashing the number of their routes to some airports.
Moreover tour operators saw their sales reducing by a similar 15%.
However, the top six companies share of the market continued at 72% and the French Alps remained the top holiday destination with nearly 40% of the market.
Due to this a lot of operators cut down the total number of luxury catered chalets they operate this year.
Catered ski chalets will see a reduction in vacationers due to the fact that a luxury catered ski chalet costs the operator more in terms of hosts and chefs and lease if it is not occupied.
It remains unlikely we will benefit from the deals which were around last year.
And prices are expected to increase, prices are unlikely to go up much.
The next winter will undoubtedly pose grave challenges for the skiing industry that is influenced by the results of the credit crunch, exchange rate, increased costs of fuel on top of large fixed operating costs for skiing businesses.
