Ski operators to offer fewer chalet holidays from next winter

Ski operators Inghams, Esprit, Ski Total and Flexiski will offer fewer chalet holidays in future due to the higher cost of staffing properties in European resorts from 1 January.

On 31 December, the UK’s transition agreement with the EU comes to an end which means that British citizens will no longer have an automatic right to work in ski resorts in the EU.

This means that ski operators might have to staff their chalets with local workers, which could push up their wage bill and make chalet holidays more expensive.

Joe Ponte, the new CEO of Inghams, Espirt, Ski Total and Flexiski parent company Hotelplan, said that as a result the company will trim down its chalet offering from 2021.

He said the brands will focus on chalets with the highest value and could offer a more premium product at higher prices.

Joe said he hopes that ‘at some point’ the EU will allow seasonal working visas so the company will be able to continue employing some British staff in European resorts.

In the meantime, only British staff who are already working in ski resorts will be allowed to remain, and since ski operators – including Hotelplan brands – have been forced to postpone the launch of their winter programmes due to Covid, they will have fewer staff in place.

Hotelplan had already reduced the number of chalets it offers from 78 to 40 for this winter season prior to Covid. It has since further shrunk the programme to just four due to the pandemic, which has also forced the company to suspend the launch of Inghams’ ski programme until the end of January and scrap Esprit’s 2020/21 winter programme altogether.

Will there be any skiing this winter?

Joe said a decision on whether to further postpone Ingham’s ski programme would be taken as soon as possible in January.

French ski resorts, which attract the majority of British skiers, remain closed with no confirmed opening date. Within Europe, only Swiss ski resorts are allowing unrestricted access but one of the most popular Swiss resorts, Verbier, has introduced a quarantine for UK arrivals.

Even if and when Europe’s ski resorts resorts fully reopen this winter, it’s possible British skiers will be denied access since EU countries will have the right from 1 January to impose a blanket ban on British visitors if they consider they pose a health risk.

Joe said Hotelplan would only launch its ski programme if it was safe to do so. "We have to make sure we can do it in a safe environment," he said. "It is such a moving feast it is difficult to put a date on when we can say whether we are going ahead."

He admitted there might come a point where it won’t be practical for Hotelplan to operate a ski programme at all this season but he said the company could survive with the loss of a season due to ‘incredible’ support from its Swiss owners. "They are very committed to us in the longterm," he said. "Our owners are in it for the longhaul."

2021 will be a ‘bumper season’

Better news for tour operators and agents is that winter 2021/22 sales are booming. Joe said Inghams’ Lapland programme will sell out. Homeworking agency Not Just Travel said its Lapland bookings were up 50% on Christmas Day.

Joe said Hotelplan’s ski bookings were also strong. "We are seeing solid numbers for next year," he added.

Despite the added costs of Brexit, he said price increases for 2021/22 were no more than ‘ordinary’, which should help maintain demand.