In 2024, the rand’s weakness, combined with the all-time highs of international airfares mean that European ski holidays have slipped beyond the reach of many South Africans who used to make them an annual event. This has been exacerbated by the unreliability of snowfall due to climate change.
Nonetheless, agents can package ski holidays for clients who have beer rather than champagne budgets. And, says one expert, they need to be armed with knowledge on the topic.
Shaun McCarthy, a seasoned skier and founder of Whitestar Cruise & Travel and Sun n Ski Holidays, says packaging ski holidays can be littered with banana skins. He offers his insights to guide agents in delivering exceptional experiences for their clients.
Experience
A good starting point is to discuss with the potential ski client whether they have skied before. This will give you an idea of how much skiing they plan to do in a resort.
Typically, beginners won’t need a large ski area for their first ski holiday. There is no point in booking a high-end resort where a ski pass will cost double that of a resort that does not have as big a ski area. This said, more high-end ski resorts are accommodating beginner skiers by including a free ski pass when they book ski lessons.
If your clients are experienced skiers, explore which resorts have larger ski areas. For example, Les Trois Vallées in the South of France offers over 300km of skiing for all levels of difficulty.
Budget and destinations
Secondly, find out your clients’ budget and the destinations they want to visit. Working with tighter budgets is always going to be more challenging, but it’s not impossible if you know which destinations, seasons, accommodations, resorts, and activities to look for.
If clients know they want to ski in Austria, France, Italy, or Switzerland, it will provide a good guideline for how to quote them according to their budget. Early December is still considered the low season due to snowfall uncertainty, but generally, ski resorts in countries where skiing is popular and ‘snow-sure’, and where you can ski almost throughout the year, are located at high altitudes, such as France and Switzerland. These destinations will be more expensive than lower-lying resorts in Austria and Italy.
Season
Snow is cyclic. There will be a couple of good years and then one or two bad years of early-season or late-season snow.
The most popular time for skiing is around Christmas and New Year when skiers can expect to pay higher prices. Resort accommodation prices, as well as the cost of ski passes, ski hire, and ski lessons, are impacted by the season, popularity, and size of the resort. As a rule of thumb, the bigger the ski area, the more expensive the ski passes will be.
There are also different grades of ski hire depending on the skills of skiers. At larger resorts, rentals are at a premium. Additionally, prices for ski lessons will vary depending on whether clients want private or group lessons.
With so many options, clients must be presented with the right information to weigh up the options and narrow down the choices best suited to what they want from the experience and, of course, their budgets.
Other important considerations are:
Comprehensive travel insurance – For most ski resorts, a visa is required for entry into the country, and travel insurance is mandatory for a visa application.
It is imperative that the client purchases comprehensive travel insurance offering medical and cancellation/curtailment cover. The maximum top-up coverage needs to be recommended. Even if your client is not skiing, they still need travel insurance because the conditions in snowy regions are risky. Some of the worst injuries I have seen in the 17 years I worked with ski resorts were non-skiers – mostly people walking around and slipping on ice.
There is insurance that specifically covers high-risk sports accidents, such as skiing and snowboarding, and it provides additional coverage for injuries resulting from these activities.
Accommodation – Accommodation varies across destinations. In France and Switzerland, there is more availability of apartments as well as entry-level accommodation and chalets that are both catered and self-catered. Austria and Italy offer guesthouses and ski resort B&Bs known as pensions. Resort accommodation is varied and ranges between two- and five-star gradings. Pensions and self-catering accommodation are more affordable for families.
Airline baggage allowances – For the avid skier or snowboarder who wants to take their own ski equipment overseas, many airlines offer passengers a sports baggage allowance that means they can take their own set of skis or a snowboard and boots. Generally, Gulf carriers will allow passengers to have two pieces of luggage.
Resort transfers – Booking your clients’ flight to arrive early in the morning gives them enough time to transfer to the ski resort. For their return flight, departures later in the afternoon will allow clients time to enjoy the last bit of their holiday and transfer from the ski resort to the airport of departure. However, it is important to build in enough time to avoid missing flights due to snow conditions, high-season traffic, and weekend traffic.
On weekends, there are hundreds of thousands of people, both international and domestic, driving on the roads going in and out of ski resorts. You can save your clients a lot of anxiety by booking well-timed flights.
Increase your knowledge
At Sun n Ski, we tailor ski land packages to accommodate clients’ exact needs. If they only want accommodation and a resort transfer, we can assist, but typically, clients are looking for an inclusive land package that includes their ski hire and ski pass. But packaged ski holidays can be expensive, and not all clients can afford an all-inclusive experience.
For agents who are new to packaging ski holidays, there are companies and specialists with prior ski booking experience, so ask questions and find people who know the answers and can guide you.
New price-conscious ski clients will always be concerned about expenses and may look to cut corners. Remember, you get what you pay for, and cheaper is not always better.
A ski holiday is still one of the most incredible holidays, whether it be for a family, honeymoon, group of friends or as a corporate incentive. You just have to find the right balance between what your clients can afford and the best available options.
