Prices up, choices down
Tuesday June 30, 2009 - Email this article to a friend

That’s the stark message from the ski industry for next winter. It's going to be very different from last season; the catered chalet is on the way out.

For some tour operators the winter of 2008/09 was little short of disasterous. Like many they did not foresee the credit crunch and were badly burnt.

They had surplus capacity as people stayed away due to economic worries and to fill all the pre-bought holidays and accommodation the tour operators had to discount heavily.

We reported on it throughout the winter on PlanetSKI

The companies will not make the same mistake again.

Will next winter be the same? NoSo, next winter they are cutting capacity. This means they are reducing the number of resorts they go to and slashing the properties they have, especially the catered chalet.

The chalet operators are cutting back between 10% and 40%. It won’t quite be the death of the traditional British chalet holiday, as some are predicting, but it will be in sharp decline as the catered chalet simply becomes uneconomic for many.

“Next season will be very different with greater caution amongst operators and far fewer bed guarantees,” says Joanna Yellowlees Bound, the chief executive of Erna Low. “There will be reduced capacity all round but this isn’t death to the next ski season – it’s a simple case of good housekeeping to ensure survival.”

See a video interview below with Joanna Yellowlees Bound.

So what should skiers and snowboarders do?

Well even though it may seem a bit bonkers to book a ski holiday now, in June, it may be the best thing to do if you know when and where you want to go.

Will the snow be the same? HopefullyMany operators are offering significant early booking discounts to get the ball rolling. Some up to 20%.

The winter may seem a long way off but if you want to go to the resort of your choice and stay in the accommodation of your choice and go in a particular week then now is the time to book.

There will not been the same level of discounts next winter and the ski holiday market will be a very different landscape.