United Kingdom
United States
Asia Pacific
Skiers flock to Austria at expense of Andorra
Austria enjoyed a significant increase in ski bookings last year, as wintersports customers turned their back on Andorra and Italy.
Crystal’s annual ski industry report revealed that Austria’s market share of UK ski bookings in the 2007-08 season rose by 2.8 per cent over the previous year to 21.8 per cent, while Italy’s share fell by 1.8 per cent to 12 per cent and Andorra’s share slumped 4.1 per cent to 7 per cent.
France remained the most popular destination for British wintersports fans, with a market share of 37.5 per cent, up 0.4 per cent on the 2006-07 season.
Crystal managing director Mathew Prior said Italy had suffered from a poor snow record, but Andorra had bigger problems.
“Andorra has been really suffering, partly because of its uncertain snow record, but the biggest issue is that it has tried to change its mix of clientele, moving away from cheap holidays, but has priced itself out of the market,†he said.
“Budget skiers have switched to Austria because it is offering good quality accommodation at good prices.â€
The report was compiled from Civil Aviation Authority statistics and feedback from tour operators, and showed a three per cent increase in bookings to 1.23million in the season 2007-08.
Prior said early bookings for December and January last year were slow because of the previous year’s poor snow, but soon picked up following snowfalls in October. There was also a five per cent increase in ski bookings from the schools market last year, due to there being two half term holiday weeks last season and an early Easter.
By Jeremy Skidmore (www.jeremyskidmore.com)
Jeremy Skidmore
Exploring Brooklands Museum with Alex Patterson
Global Tourism Challenges and Upcoming Events: A Conversation with Don Welsh
Peebles Barbeque: A Legacy of Flavor and Tradition
Exploring Bok Tower Gardens with Erica Smith
Rue’s Living Water Boat Cruises: Exploring Winter Haven’s Chain of Lakes
Durango and Silverton Railroad: A Timeless Journey Through History and Scenic Beauty
Walt Leger on New Orleans’ Resilience and Major Events Ahead
Cindy Mackin Shares Estes Park’s Winter Thrills
Mark Jaronski of Explore Georgia on FIFA World Cup 2026
Connecting Small Businesses to Global Tourism Markets: Nate Huff of Tourism Exchange
North Carolina’s Resilience: Wit Tuttell on Recovery and Tourism
Kittipong Prapattong’s Plan for Thailand’s Tourism Growth: Taxes, Visas, and Campaigns
Royal Caribbean issues Legionnaires’ disease warning
Qatar Airways adding Manchester flights
Jet2 unveils Samos as new Greek destination for summer 2026
EU entry-exit system delayed again
ATC strike in Greece could disrupt flights this week