In Part Due to the Credit Crunch Many Skiing Operators Are Cutting down Their Amount of Catered Ski Chalets

In light of the recession skiing occupancies decreased last season.

Notwithstanding acceptable early on sales coupled with superb snow.

These reductions in numbers follows on from 5 seasons of successive development in the ski industry, and the numbers decreased from 1.25. 1.3 million two years ago to 900000 last winter.

Perhaps due to snowboarders giving their annual skiing trip a miss, while other skiers who would normally take 2 skiing holidays, merely took the one.

A fall of 15% was experienced by the independent travel sector with a few cheap airlines slashing the amount of routes to certain destinations.

Moreover tour operators also saw their numbers going down by around 15%.

All the same, the leading operators market share stayed at 72% and the Alps in France retained its position as the most visited destination with about 37% of skiing holidays.

Because of this several large operators reduced the total number of ski chalets they run this coming winter.

The luxury chalet market will witness a a drop in vacationers as a catered ski chalet costs more for the tour operator in terms of chefs and hosts and rental when it is unsold.

It seems unlikely that we shall witness the deals which were around last season.

Whilst prices are in all likelihood to augment, prices are unlikely to go up considerably.

The 2009/10 winter undoubtedly poses grievous challenges for the skiing industry that is impacted by the events of the recession, exchange rate pressures, high costs of fuel and high fixed running costs for ski companies.

This winter vacationers will be increasingly price sensitive, which will lead to an about face of the recent years that witnessed a development in the skiing industry.