Finlay Mickel - ambassador for South Tyrol
Yes, you read that right!
South Tyrol as a holiday destination has gained a new ambassador in the person of the British skier Finlay Mickel. A sponsorship agreement with the Provincial Department for Tourism for the amount of 40,000 euros commits the Number One in British skiing to promote South Tyrol in the U.K. during the current winter season. The racer is guaranteeing to promote South Tyrol as a winter sport paradise in his public relations activities. The agreement also requires Finlay Mickel to dedicate four days to events such as press trips for British journalists to endorse South Tyrol as a winter holiday destination. The new South Tyrol corporate identity logo bears Finlay Mickel on the helmet and cap.
As the only British skier capable of competing with the world’s elite athletes, Mickel’s impressive performances in World Cup races have secured him a regular place in the international print media e in TV.
Mickel will compete in the World Cup Downhill race taking place in Val Gardena/Gröden on 16th December, a course which especially suits the Briton. South Tyrol’s councillor for tourism Thomas Widmann opines: “Considering the attention the British media have given to the achievements of their fellow countryman Mickel we expect this cooperation to result in plenty of media coverage for South Tyrol in the United Kingdom. The South Tyrol Marketing Company has been actively promoting South Tyrol on the U.K. market for three years now and we are particularly pleased to have such a popular and convincing figure active there on our behalf�. Mickel – who has earned the nickname ‘Quick Mick’ – will attract plenty of media attention in English-speaking countries when he competes in the World Cup race. This sponsorship provides an excellent opportunity to firmly establish the name South Tyrol in the U.K. and thereby consolidate the promotional efforts of the South Tyrol Marketing Company. The councillor continues: “We expect plenty of media attention for Mickel during the forthcoming Winter Olympics taking place in Turin this February�.
The U.K. is the third-largest market for European Alpine tourism. Every fifth Brit expresses interest in a holiday in the Alps, corresponding to 10 million U.K. residents, the majority of whom are interested in skiing holidays. The high spending power among British winter holidaymakers with an average of 1,240 euros per trip and the above average length of stay of six days make the U.K. an especially attractive market for South Tyrol. Last winter 85,500 Brits spent their holidays in South Tyrol, the best results for a decade.
Mickel is five-time British downhill and Super-G champion. He competed in his first World Cup race at Lake Louise, Canada in November 2000. Today Mickel is regularly placed among the world’s top 20 ski racers. He came 11th in the Alpine downhill world championships in February 2005, the best result ever achieved by a British skier in the history of Alpine World Cup racing.
