Table of Contents
Executive Summary
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- Impact of COVID-19 on skiing and snowboarding holidays
- Recovery will be led by experienced and more committed winter sports enthusiasts
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- Figure 1: Short, medium and long-term impact of COVID-19 on skiing and snowboarding holidays abroad, 30 March 2021
- The market
- COVID-19 disruption began in early March 2020
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- Figure 2: Estimated ski and snowboarding market size, 2015/16-2025/26 (prepared on 30 March 2021)
- Economic disruption and low confidence in overseas travel will delay recovery
- Average spend per holiday is set to increase
- Longer-term prospects remain positive
- Companies and brands
- A financially challenging period for travel operators
- Initiatives to increase ski resort attendance
- Travel companies align themselves with consumer demand for flexibility and safety
- The consumer
- Around one in six consumers have taken a ski resort holiday
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- Figure 3: Holidays taken to ski resorts in last five years, April 2018 vs December 2020
- Skiing remains far more popular than snowboarding
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- Figure 4: Participation in skiing and snowboarding on holiday in last five years, April 2018 vs December 2020
- Financial protection makes package holidays appealing
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- Figure 5: Booking type for ski resort holiday taken in last five years, December 2020
- Potential for market to double its reach
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- Figure 6: Future interest in holidays at a ski resort in the next five years, December 2020
- All-inclusive bookings likely to remain the leading choice
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- Figure 7: Future interest in board and accommodation types at a ski resort, December 2020
- High growth potential for catered chalets
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- Figure 8: Ski resort board/accommodation type usage and consideration, December 2020
- Consumers demand more affordable options and flexible bookings
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- Figure 9: Ways to encourage consumers to take ski resort holidays, December 2020
- Resorts challenged to maintain the après-ski experience
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- Figure 10: The impact of COVID-19 on skiing holidays, December 2020
Issues and Insights
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- All in the interest of wellbeing
- Ski resorts for peace and quiet
- Integrating nature into the winter holiday experience
- Preserving the appeal of après-ski in a COVID-19 era
The Market – Key Takeaways
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- COVID-19 wrote off the recent winter holiday season
- Recovery will be led by experienced and more committed winter sports enthusiasts.
- Average spend per holiday is set to increase
- Longer-term prospects remain positive
Market Size and Forecast
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- Recovery will be led by experienced and more committed winter sports enthusiasts
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- Figure 11: Short, medium and long-term impact of COVID-19 on skiing and snowboarding holidays abroad, 30 March 2021
- Prior to COVID-19, the market had already been impacted by Brexit uncertainty
- COVID-19 disruption began in early March 2020
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- Figure 12: Estimated ski and snowboarding market size, 2015/16-2025/26 (prepared on 30 March 2021)
- Economic disruption and low confidence in overseas travel will delay recovery
- Average spend per holiday is set to increase
- Longer-term prospects remain positive
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- Figure 13: Forecast volume of skiing and snowboarding holidays taken by UK residents abroad, 2015/16-2025/26 (prepared on 30 March 2021)
- Figure 14: Forecast value of skiing and snowboarding holidays taken by UK residents abroad, 2015/16-2025/26 (prepared on 30 March 2021)
- Market drivers and assumptions
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- Figure 15: Key drivers affecting Mintel’s market forecast, 2015-25 (prepared on 26 March 2021)
- Learnings from the last recession
- The 2008/09 financial recession made the market more reliant on committed winter sports enthusiasts
- More consumers are in a better financial position following the COVID-19 crisis
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- Figure 16: Volume and value of UK snowsports holidays, 2007/08-12/13
- Forecast methodology
Market Drivers
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- Travel restrictions wiped out the recent winter holiday season
- Ongoing uncertainty about the reopening of travel
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- Figure 17: Main holiday booking intentions for 2021, 4 -12 March
- Travel companies can raise awareness of good value alternatives to combat rising unemployment
- Climate change is a growing threat to the skiing industry
- Travel companies will have to cater to both enthusiastic and tentative consumers
Key Players
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- Crystal Ski Holidays (part of TUI Group)
- Hotelplan: Espirit Ski, Flexiski, Inghams and Ski Total
- Neilson Active Holidays
- Skiworld
Launch Activity and Innovation
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- Skiing companies are finding many opportunities to enhance the skiing experience
- Norway Sno allows consumers to ski during short winters
- Japan pioneers safer ski lifts
- Skiing companies reroute their approach to travel with initiatives like Discovery Route
- Operators anticipate demand for affordable and flexible ski holidays
- Giving consumers flexibility and confidence to book
- Ski resorts for peace and quiet
- Crystal Ski partners with GB Snowsport to raise the profile of winter sports
The Consumer – Key Takeaways
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- Younger consumers make up core market for skiing
- Potential for market to double its reach
- Resorts challenged to maintain the après-ski experience
Impact of COVID-19 on Consumer Behaviour
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- Consumers’ financial concerns pose a threat to the skiing market
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- Figure 18: Preferred activities after COVID-19 measures are relaxed, 4 February-12 February 2021
- Younger consumers will be more inclined to save and cut back on spending moving forward…
- …so, ski operators should develop and promote more affordable options
- Holiday bookings and intentions to book remain well below pre-COVID levels…
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- Figure 19: Actual bookings and plans to book a holiday in the next three months, January 2019-February 2021
- …but many consumers have managed to save during the pandemic and plan to spend on holidays moving forward
Holidays Taken to Ski Resorts
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- Around one in six consumers have taken a ski resort holiday
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- Figure 20: Holidays taken to ski resorts in last five years, April 2018 vs December 2020
- Younger consumers make up core market for skiing
- Opportunity to premiumise further to cash-in on increased saving
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- Figure 21: Holidays taken to ski resorts in last five years, by age, December 2020
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- Figure 22: Holidays taken to ski resorts in last five years according to household income, December 2020
Skiing and Snowboarding Participation
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- Skiing remains far more popular than snowboarding
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- Figure 23: Participation in skiing and snowboarding on holiday in last five years, April 2018 vs December 2020
Board and Accommodation Type
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- All-inclusive will continue to be the preference amid COVID-19 uncertainties
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- Figure 24: Ski resort board/accommodation type usage, December 2020
- Parents are likely to start showing more interest in self-catering options
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- Figure 25: Ski resort board/accommodation preferences for non-parents and parents with children under 18, December 2020
Booking Type
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- Financial protection makes package holidays appealing…
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- Figure 26: Booking type for ski resort holiday taken in last five years, December 2020
- …though flexibility makes independent holiday bookings popular
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- Figure 27: Attitudes towards booking a ski holiday independently vs as a package, December 2020
Future Interest in Holidays to Ski Resorts
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- Potential for market to double its reach
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- Figure 28: Future interest in holidays at a ski resort in the next five years, December 2020
- Younger consumers will remain the key target market
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- Figure 29: Participation vs future intention to take a holiday to a ski resort, December 2020
Future Interest in Board and Accommodation Types
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- All-inclusive bookings likely to remain the leading choice
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- Figure 30: Future interest in board and accommodation types at a ski resort, December 2020
- High growth potential for catered chalets
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- Figure 31: Ski resort board/accommodation type usage and consideration, December 2020
Ways to Encourage Bookings
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- Consumers demand more affordable accommodation and flexible bookings
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- Figure 32: Ways to encourage consumers to take ski resort holidays, December 2020
Impact of COVID-19 on Ski Resort Holidays
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- Resorts challenged to maintain the après-ski experience
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- Figure 33: The impact of COVID-19 on skiing holidays, December 2020
Appendix – Data Sources, Abbreviations and Supporting Information
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- Abbreviations
- Consumer research methodology
Appendix – Market Size and Forecast
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- Market forecast – Volume
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- Figure 34: Forecast volume of skiing and snowboarding holidays taken by UK residents abroad, 2020/21-2025/26 (prepared on 30 March 2021)
- Market forecast – Value
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- Figure 35: Forecast value of skiing and snowboarding holidays taken by UK residents abroad, 2020/21-2025/26 (prepared on 30 March 2021)
- Forecast methodology
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