A dozen leading UK tour operators are reported to have met yesterday (28 February) to agree their support of Le Ski, the long established tour operator in France which has been taken to court over offering a ski hosting service to its clients. Ski hosting has now been declared illegal.
"Ski hosting or social skiing is where a representative from the holiday company takes guests on familiarisation tours of the slopes, show them good lunch spots and how to avoid queues. They do not go off piste. No instruction is given," said a statement from Crystal, one of the 11 operators supporting Le Ski which has launched an appeal at a higher court in Chambery after losing the initial case in Albertville. This is due to be heard in the near future.
All ski operators present were fully supportive of Le Ski in their appeal as ski customers are currently unable to benefit from this popular service. The tour operators present were: Alpine Elements, Crystal Ski, Inghams, Le Ski, Mark Warner, Neilson, Ski Esprit, Ski Olympic, Ski Total, Skiworld, Thomson and VIP Ski.
According to French law it is illegal to offer ski guiding without French ski teaching or guiding qualifications if you are paid to do so. Part of the legal disagreement is based on whether showing skiers around some of the blue and red pistes to help orientate them on arrival in resort counts as ski guiding.
The Ecole du ski Francais, which has supported the French court case although it did not instigate it, says that ski teachers from other countries are allowed to work on French mountain slopes, however British tour operators say that the French do not allow ski teachers with non French qualifications below BASI level 3 or those who have taken 8-12 week intensive courses to get ski teaching qualifications in Canada or New Zealand to work on French ski slopes, even as hosts for social skiing groups.