Demand for ski holidays soars but resort prices have risen

• Ski Resort Report 2023 finds rising prices across Europe - Post Office advises cost-conscious Britons to choose lower-priced resorts (www.postoffice.co.uk/skireport2023)
• Bulgarian resorts still offer best value, while Swiss ones remain the priciest
• Italian resorts are cheapest in the Eurozone but Arinsal, Andorra could be a bargain solution for families, with free pre-booked lift passes on offer for children under 11

Pent-up demand for ski holidays means that bookings have bounced back from their pandemic lows and are exceeding pre-Covid levels, according to Post Office Ski Resort Report partner Crystal Ski Holidays. However, the 16^thannual report reveals that prices for ski school, equipment, lift passes, meals and drinks have risen across Europe due to the weaker pound and higher resort charges. Post Office Travel Money advises cost-conscious skiers to choose one of the lower-priced resorts named in its latest cost-comparison of resort prices for one week¹.

Bulgaria tops the table of best value ski resorts for both adult and family skiers as it has done for much of the past decade, while a range of Italian resorts dominate the ten top places. British skiers could pay significantly more for ski essentials in Switzerland, which is again rated most expensive, costing over twice as much as the three cheapest resorts.

Adult skiing

Although British skiers can expect to pay more this season, many of the increases are relatively small. Over a third – 38 per cent - of the 32 ski resorts surveyed registered price rises of seven per cent or less for the Post Office adult skiing basket of costs. The lowest increases are in Italy’s Bardonecchia (+0.9 per cent) and Sauze (+3.3 per cent) resorts, and in La Plagne, France (+2.4 per cent).

Using local prices provided by Crystal Ski Holidays and converted to sterling by Post Office Travel Money, Borovets (£506) again tops the best value table, although prices have risen 12.8 per cent year-on-year. A second Bulgarian resort, Bansko (£537, prices up seven per cent), has dropped to third place after being overtaken by Bardonecchia, Italy (£513). Bardonecchia boasts the cheapest price for a six-day lift pass, equipment hire and tuition at £348, compared with £382 in Borovets and £415 in Bansko. However, meals and drinks bought on the slopes are a third more expensive in Bardonecchia than in Borovets, which explains why the Bulgarian resort remains cheapest overall.

Italy continues to represent the best value for Britons among the ‘big four’ ski destinations (Austria, France, Italy and Switzerland). Together with Bardonecchia, four other Italian resorts rate among the 10 best value resorts: Sauze (4^th, £611), Sestriere (5^th, £635), La Thuile (6^th, £678) and Cervinia (9^th, £711).

Nick Boden, Head of Post Office Travel Money, said: “Ski resort costs are likely to play an important part in destination choice this year as the weaker pound puts pressure on the holiday purse. That’s why it is so important to do your homework before booking and factor in all the costs of a ski holiday to the package price. Despite the price rises we found this year, there are still great value resorts to choose from in Bulgaria and Italy and Britons who want to visit traditional favourites Austria and France will find competitively priced skiing in several of the most popular resorts.”

Ellmau, Austria (7^that £702) and Morzine, France (8^th, £704) have retained their top 10 places, but prices are up by 5.5 per cent in Ellmau and 10.9 per cent in Morzine. Finland’s Ruka resort completes the top ten (10^th, £716) and offers a cheaper alternative to some of the more expensive Austrian and French resorts. However, prices are up by almost eight per cent on last year’s levels.

The three Swiss resorts surveyed again emerge as most expensive for British skiers – in part because the strong Swiss franc has risen more than the euro against sterling. Prices in Saas Fee are cheapest at £1,178, almost 11 per cent more than last season, while visitors to Wengen can expect to pay £1,311 for the barometer items, a rise of 22 per cent – the highest in the survey, and skiing in Zermatt will cost most - £1,367, an increase of 15 per cent.

Family skiing

Families planning trips during February half-term or the Easter holidays need to be aware that prices have risen in all barring one of 26 ski resorts rated most suitable for skiers with children²although well over half (16) of those increases were below 10 per cent.

At £1,547 for the ski barometer basket, Bansko in Bulgaria remains best value for families and is almost 12 per cent cheaper than its closest rival, Italy’s Bardonecchia resort (£1,749). However, prices are up in both – by just almost 11 per cent in Bansko and nearly seven per cent in Bardonecchia, cheapest in the Eurozone.

Taken as a whole, Italy offers the best choice of competitively priced ski resorts for families as it does for adult skiers. All five of those surveyed for family skiing are in the best value top six: Passo Tonale (3^rd, £1,766), Cervinia (4^th, £1,972), Sestriere (5^th, £2,003) and La Thuile (6^th, £2,158).

Another budget solution for families is Arinsal, Andorra – seventh in the best value table. Although a change in resort ownership has brought about an increase of nearly 13 per cent in ski costs to £2,191, Arinsal remains an attractive choice for bargain hunters because families with children aged up to 11 qualify for free child lift passes if these are pre-booked. By doing so, a family of four can save over £400, reducing the weekly cost to £1,784 and making Arinsal the fourth-cheapest family resort.

The best value top 10 is completed by two Austrian resorts – Rauris (8^th, £2,193) and Ellmau (9^th, £2,300) – and by Finland’s Ruka (10^th), where family prices have risen just 2.9 per cent to £2,303. Following the pattern of recent years there is still no top 10 place in the family table for a French ski resort. In 11^th place, Morzine (£2,409) is best placed of nine surveyed, while Tignes (22^nd, £2,926) is most expensive, albeit with a price fall of 1.1 per cent on last season’s levels.

Switzerland is the most expensive destination by far for families. Prices in both Saas Fee (25^th, £3,568) and Grindelwald (26^th, £3,633) have risen by over 10 per cent. In Austria, Saalbach (24^th, £3,238) and Kitzbühel (23^rd, £3,146) come closest to matching the high price of Swiss resorts.

Nick Boden of Post Office Travel Money adds: “With every penny counting this year, make sure you get more for your money by changing cash before leaving home rather than at the airport or ski resort where you risk getting a poor rate. Take enough cash to cover ski and living costs and be aware that transactions of over £500 will get you a better rate in our branches or on the Post Office website.”

Crystal Ski Holidays reports that bookings for ski holidays are looking healthy and are now exceeding pre-Covid levels.

Chris Logan, Managing Director of Crystal Ski Holidays, said: “We can see from bookings for the upcoming season that the demand for ski holidays is even stronger than pre-pandemic. Skiers and snowboarders alike are eager to get to the slopes, especially if they missed out on their winter trip last year due to another turbulent season.

“Not surprisingly in the current climate, customers are more cost savvy than ever, with bookings for places that offer the best value to UK travellers, like Bulgaria and Italy, particularly good. Another excellent bang for the British buck isn’t yet featured in the report because this season will be our first year operating there. But Bosnia and Herzegovina is a brand new budget destination offering excellent snow and great activities as well as rich culture and history. We expect it to perform very well on the report next year. Some other considerations skiers might want to take on board this season is making the most of less popular weeks. January tends to see some of the best snow, the fewest crowds and some of the best prices. And for those bound by school holidays, go at Christmas or New Year for some great deals.”

The Post Office is the UK’s leading foreign currency provider, offering around 60 currencies for pre-order at around 7,000 Post Office branches or online at www.postoffice.co.uk/travel for next day branch or home delivery. 3,600 larger Post Office branches stock the leading currencies and around 7,000 offer euros over the counter without pre-order. These can also be ordered online for same day ‘click and collect’ at selected branches, next day collection at any branch or home delivery.

Notes to Editors:

¹ The Post Office Travel Money Ski Resort Report, in partnership with Crystal Ski Holidays, was compiled using adult prices for one week (six active days) in 32 European resorts that are suitable for a range of skiing levels and 26 European resort suitable for families. Costs are based on mid-season pricing and entry level skis and boots. Ski school daily hours vary depending on the resort. Lunch prices are based on two courses (main course and dessert) excluding drinks. The items surveyed were:

1. Ski lift pass for one week (6 days)
2. Ski equipment for one week (6 days)
3. Ski school tuition (5-6 days half-day lesson)
4. Cup of coffee
5. Bottle of Coca Cola
6. Glass of house wine
7. Bottle of beer
8. Six lunches on the slopes

Full details of prices for both adults and families are shown in the accompanying Post Office Ski Resort Report brochure.

² Prices for families are based on two adults and two children aged 6 and 8.

About Crystal Ski Holidays

Part of the TUI Group, Crystal Ski Holidays is the UK’s leading ski package holiday provider taking customers to more than 100 resorts in eleven destinations across Europe and North America flying from over 15 UK airports.  All packages include flights, transfers and accommodation, and are covered by ABTA and ATOL protection.   Note: Crystal Ski Holidays lead prices can be obtained by contacting anna.thrussell@tui.co.uk