Winter sports
Rest of the world
NORTH AMERICA An abundance of snow, a variety of winter activities, high service levels, more direct flights and good-quality accommodation have led to an increase in British skiers heading to the US and Canada for their ski holidays. Last winter, Crystal Ski Holidays added Sun Peaks in British Columbia to its programme and is this winter reintroducing Lake Tahoe, on the California-Nevada border, after a four-year hiatus. Spokesman Marion Telsnig says: “Canadian resorts have, in particular, had a substantial growth last season. Early booking is vital because there are huge discounts on flights, accommodation and lift passes and more and more customers are getting the best price by booking over the summer.” The new Norwegian flight to Denver will likely
add to an increase in the number of Brits heading to Colorado’s ski resorts this winter.
BIGGER IS BETTER The amalgamation of ski passes is a big trend that shows no sign of abating. The Epic Pass (£678 for adults) from Vail Resorts now includes unlimited skiing in Perisher (Australia), Whistler (Canada), Park City (Idaho), Vail, Breckenridge, Beaver Creek and Keystone (Colorado), Heavenly and Northstar (California), among others, as well as access to 30 resorts across Austria, Switzerland, Italy and France. The Mountain Collective is hot on its heels, offering two days’ skiing in 16 resorts across the world that include Aspen-Snowmass (Colorado), Jackson Hole (Wyoming), The Remarkables and Coronet Peak (New Zealand), Thredbo (Australia) and Lake Louise in Canada — up 32 days — for a killer early price of £354. These are mainly aimed at US skiers but offer value to the adventurous Brit.
CHINA The ski and wintersports market in China has been rapidly expanding largely due to the forthcoming 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. There’s an increase in the number of Chinese skiers coming to Europe and the ski offering available in China. The French resort of Val Thorens, for example, now allocates 20% of its overall marketing budget to China and will from this autumn offer a separate website in Mandarin. Tourism Switzerland and France Montagnes sent groups of ski instructors to teach in China and last winter Warren Smith opened a branch of his ski academy in Wanlong, where he’s been operating one-off coaching weeks for several years. Last winter, Club Med opened its second ski hotel in China, in the resort of Beidau, following the success of its first hotel in Yabuli.
60 ABTA Magazine | August 2017
OFF THE BEATEN TRACK Adventure-hungry skiers and snowboarders are now looking further afi eld to Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Iran, Russia, Turkey, Albania and Lebanon. Adventurers are seeking ski touring/split-boarding, heli-skiing and cat- skiing trips and staying in yurts or family homes for a more cultural experience. South Korea hosts the Winter Olympics in February, with accommodation off ered in local temples.
From top: heli skiers, British Columbia, Canada; Buddhist temple in South Korea
IMAGES: JEROEN AARTS; JOHN LEWIS MARSHALL
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