Ski sales soar
WHILE it’s difficult
to ascertain the
exact number of
South Africans going on
snow holidays annually, Club
Med saw a 29% increase in
South Africans holidaying
at its snow resorts in 2017
compared with 2016, and
further growth is expected
in 2018, says Olivier
Hannaert, md of Club Med
Southern Africa.
“Increasingly, South
African families are opting
for snow holidays. They’re
seeking resorts that cater
for the whole family and
find Club Med a good option
as children stay free at
selected snow resorts, and
daily ski and snowboarding
lessons are included in the
package price.”
The best and least-hassle
snow holidays come from
booking an all-inclusive
holiday, adds Olivier. “Allinclusive
will ensure clients
are getting the best value
and quality for what they’re
paying. And what better way
to enjoy a snow holiday than
having everything covered
and paid for in advance
before leaving South Africa
and not having to deal with
organising flights, transfers,
accommodation, meals and
drinks, entertainment and
everything else associated
with the skiing activity.”
He says that with the
unpredictability of the rand,
more South Africans are
looking for travel packages
that don’t come with
surprises or hidden costs.
“Once a client has booked
and paid their deposit for
a Club Med holiday, the
price is locked, so won’t be
affected if the rand takes a
dive.”
Inge Dobihal, owner of
Austria Connection, which
offers a wide range of
accommodation options
at many different ski resorts
across Europe as well as ski
hire, ski passes, ski school
lessons and transfers, says
South Africans who have
already experienced a ski
holiday and know their way
around ski resorts, don’t
necessarily opt for booking
all-inclusive ski-holiday
packages. They often prefer
just to book accommodation
and transfers and make
their own way once at their
resort. “This can sometimes
work out cheaper than a
fully inclusive ski holiday,”
she says.
John Ridler, Thompsons
Holidays’ pr and media
manager, says Italy, Austria
and France offer excellent
resorts to suit all budgets.
He says to get more value
for their clients’ ski buck,
agents should recommend
self-catering apartment-style
accommodation.
While snow holidays are
typically assumed to be for
snow sport enthusiasts,
they’ve become a popular
option for those seeking
wellness, health and
relaxation retreats, says
Olivier. “There is so much
more to do at a snow-filled
destination than just skiing
or snowboarding. Ski resort
guests can shop, indulge in
spa treatments, hop on and
off chair lifts to discover the
best views of the region, go
tobogganing and snow-shoe
walking, enjoy a Jacuzzi in
the snow, or simply relax in
front of a fireplace.”
“Skiers and non-skiers
alike can also enjoy many
different adventures, and
activities such as sleigh
rides, bum boarding,
cooking lessons, solarium
tanning, excursions and
sightseeing,” says
John. “And of course,
the best time of the day
is après-ski time where
the stories become more
fantastic with every drink.”
Another trend, says Olivier,
is that business travellers
are trading boardrooms
for snowboards and spa
days for skis. “Voluntarily
spending time in belowfreezing
temperatures may
not sound conducive to
business brainstorming or
as an incentive, but you'd
be surprised at how
inspiration can strike
atop a chair lift or how
business relationships
are strengthened while
sipping on a chocolat chaud
during a spontaneous
après-ski session. There is
evidence that such informal
encounters with like-minded
people can be the key to
unlocking some of the
most valuable business
conversations.”
Inge says to book the
right ski resort for clients,
agents must know their
ski experience level and
whether they are upmarket
clients or budget-minded.
“Kitzbühel is a resort that
caters for everybody – from
beginners to advanced
skiers, for upmarket and
budget-conscious clients as
well as for non-skiers. From
Kitzbühel, day excursions to
Innsbruck and Salzburg are
easy.”
She adds that while many
ski resorts cater for all
levels of skiing competency,
there are certain ski resorts
that are especially geared
for advanced skiers (such as
Lech, St Anton and Ischgl)
and are more expensive.
Such resorts are usually
found at higher altitudes,
with snow available for
skiing from December
to the beginning of April.
“Beginners or intermediate
skiers will never be able
to make full use of all the
facilities at these resorts
so they may as well opt for
less-expensive resorts.”
For beginner and
intermediate skiers who
want an upmarket resort,
Inge recommends Seefeld
in Austria, which does not
cater for advanced skiers.
“It is also an ideal winter
holiday resort for non-skiers
with great facilities such as
shops, cafés, bars, a casino
and indoor sports centre
with a swimming pool. It’s
very close to Innsbruck and
offers excursions to nearby
attractions,” says Inge.
Beware the selfie!
IN A new development for
insurers, the ‘selfie’ injury
is becoming a common
occurrence among skiers.
“A leading UK-based
travel insurer,” says
Simmy Micheli, sales
and marketing manager
of Travel Insurance
Consultants (TIC), “found
that 51% of experienced
skiers had injured
themselves while trying to
film or take photographs
of themselves on the
slopes. About 28%
required medical
treatment as a result.
While recording the
experience on the slopes
can be fun, safety can be
compromised and agents
should warn their clients
about this.”
Simmy adds that
while most good travel
insurance policies include
automatic cover for
leisure skiing, consultants
should check whether the
policy includes off-piste
and black slope skiing,
which is necessary in the
case of more experienced
skiers. Although all TIC
policies cover off-piste
skiing – provided it is with
a guide – and black slope
skiing, there are other
policies in the market that
may not.
She says the risk of
injury for skiers is ten
times more than for
ordinary travellers. “And
as most South African
skiers are inexperienced,
their risk of injury is
high. The most common
ski claims are for knee,
ankle and hand injuries
respectively. Some
injuries, such as back
injuries, can be very
serious and extremely
costly to treat. This
can have dire financial
implications for travellers
without insurance.”
Although leisure skiing
is fully covered on a
TIC policy, those who
compete professionally or
participate in competition,
need to apply to TIC for a
sporting extension.
Spoilt for choice in South America
WITH the Andes running
along the Chile-Argentina
border, both countries
boast excellent ski
resorts, which, a month
away from the start of
snowfalls in June, are
readying for the ski
season.
Chile is The Lonely
Planet’s choice as the
country to visit in 2018.
Within short distances
of the capital Santiago,
are three ski resorts
– El Colorado with two
snow parks and 112 ski
slopes, La Parva with
30km of slopes and Valle
Nevado – one of the
largest in South America.
Portillo, 164km from
Santiago, is the oldest ski
resort on the continent
and the training ground
for champion skiers.
Further out, Nevados
de Chillán couples skiing
with the benefit of hot
springs, and at Corralco,
Pucón and Antillanca,
visitors can ski down
volcanoes.
In Argentina, the
Bariloche area in
Patagonia is perhaps
best known, with a ski
season that runs until
end October. But there
are close on 20 others
to plump for. Las Lenas
attracts the advanced
skier, Chapelco appeals
to families, Penitentes
has 25 ski runs for
all levels of skill, and
Cerro Castor, one of the
newest and located near
the winter playground
of Ushuaia, offers cold
temperatures that run to
the end of September.
Tips for affordable ski holidays
FOR an affordable ski
holiday, Thompsons
Holidays’ John Ridler
says agents should
recommend booking
only the essentials
– flights, transfers,
accommodation (selfcatering),
ski pass and
ski hire. He adds that
booking for early- or
late-season trips usually
offers the best value.
The earlier a client
books a ski holiday, the
better rates they are
likely to get, says Olivier
Hannaert of Club Med.
The cheapest period to
take a ski holiday, says
Austria Connection’s Inge
Dobihal, is the last three
weeks in January, while
the best deal for hotel
accommodation always
includes breakfast and
dinner.
