In another one of those surveys we all love, a PR company working for Sainsbury's Travel Money has discovered that, "skiers and snowboarders are slashing their holiday budgets this year."
They commissioned ICM to carry out an online survey between 23rd and 25th September 2011 of 2,024 British adults across the country and the results have been weighted to the profile of all adults and the results have just been published.
The findings revealed that only one in five people (20%) who have previously skied or snowboarded plan to go this winter and of those almost three quarters (73%) plan to reduce the cost of their holiday.
More than a quarter of those planning to hit the slopes this winter (28%) plan to take packed lunches instead of eating in mountain restaurants and 26% plan to stay in cheaper accommodation. Nearly one in four (23%) say they'll stay in a cheaper resort and almost one in five (19%) intend to go to a country where the cost of living and exchange rate lets their money go further.
Sainsbury's Travel Money's research also found that 16% of those planning to hit the slopes this winter will borrow ski clothes and equipment instead of buying or hiring it, and one in ten (9%) will purchase cheaper ski clothes from department stores or second-hand shops. Worryingly, 18% say they will not have ski lessons and 2% say they won't take out travel insurance in order to save money.
"In a time of financial uncertainty it seems that many enthusiasts are being forced to either forgo their holiday or try to find ways of reducing the cost of their trip. Looking beyond the traditional ski destinations can provide a way of saving significant sums on a ski holiday. Skiers and snowboarders should also look to reduce the cost in other ways such as shopping around for the most competitive rates on their travel money and arrange it as far in advance as they can," said David Barrett of Sainsbury's Travel Money.
In a bizarre twist in the surreal world of people trying to research a subject they don't seem to understand and have apparently not checked with anyone who knows anything about skiing or world travel before going public with a press release, Sainsbury's Travel Money go on to suggest the former world's highest slopes in Bolivia that closed five years ago, the war zone that is Afghanistan and has no ski lifts, the slopes of Mt Hermon in Israel, build on border ,lands taken from Syria with klift operators carrying automatic weapons or a small ski hill in Croatia might be good 'value' options for those seeking to save a few pounds,
"For those with more adventurous tastes, for around £1,345 two adults could visit Oukaimeden in Morocco, Africa's highest ski resort where donkeys rather than shuttle buses wander back and forth between lifts. A relative bargain can also be found at the Mount Hermon Range in Israel, at £2,218 for the week, or even Bamiyan in Afghanistan at £2,308."
Sainsbury's Travel Money's study of the cost of two adults going away for one week including flights, transfers, a three or four star hotel stay and lift passes, reveals that Bjelolasica in Croatia was the cheapest of the resorts studied at £1,024. This is closely followed by Kranjska Gora in Slovenia at £1,204 and Bansko in Bulgaria at £1,261.
By contrast, Sainsbury's say, Hokkaido in Japan in the most expensive of the destinations studied, at over £5,200 for a week's stay. This is followed by £4,224 at Faraya in Lebanon (which itself means 'snow') and the more traditional destinations of Whistler in Canada (£3,807) and Vail in the US (£3,735).
Those who prefer staying closer to home could visit Aviemore, one of the first ski resorts to be established in Scotland, though it could still cost upward of £2,100 for two people for a week for those flying from London say Sainsburys, failing to note overnight train travel there is possible for £19 each way from London or that most people living north of Watford Gap could drive for a fraction of that or get a far cheaper flight than the ones they managed to find if they shop around a bit.
Ski destinations across the globe this Christmas
Guide price for 2 adults including flights, transfers, 3 or 4 star hotel and 6-day lift passes, between Christmas and New Year
Japan - Kiroro Hokkaido £5,271.55
Lebanon - Faraya £4,223.93
Canada - Whistler £3,807.10
USA - Vail £3,734.70
Norway - Voss £3,508.31
Bolivia - Chacaltaya Glacier £3,002.11
UAE - Ski-Dubai £2,552.20
Switzerland - Verbier £2,527.71
Austria - St Anton £2,311.77
Afghanistan - Bamiyan £2,308.04
Italy – Cortina £2,301.92
Israel - Mount Hermon Range £2,218.04
France - Val d'Isere £2,186.44
Scotland – Aviemore £2,155.63
Morocco - Oukaimeden £1,345.31
Bulgaria – Bansko £1,260.55
Slovenia - Kranjska Gora £1,203.50
Croatia – Bjelolasica £1,024.36
Source: Sainsbury's Travel Money
Cost-cutting measures being employed by skiers and snowboarders this winter
(Cost-cutting measure/Percentage of skiers planning to do this)
Take packed lunches on the slopes instead of eating in mountain restaurants 28%
Stay in cheaper accommodation 26%
Go to a cheaper resort 23%
Go to a country where your money goes further 19%
Not have ski lessons 18%
Borrow ski clothes/equipment instead of hiring or buying it 16%
Go for a shorter holiday 14%
Use a friend / family's accommodation 11%
Buy cheaper ski clothes from department stores or second hand shops 9%
Leave the kids at home or with a family member 3%
Not take out travel insurance 2%
Other 3%
Source: Sainsbury's Travel Money