A company called SPIKE which describes itself as a 'travel marketing consultancy' has compiled responses from 18,000 people on their ski holiday habits in what it claim it the largest consumer survey ever undertaken in the ski holiday market.
Among the SkiBase Reports findings were that mature skiers are spending as much time on the ski slopes as during the boom times of 2007/08 and effectively sustaining the current ski holiday market, with the number of new entrants to snowsports in decline.
"Overall, skiers are saying they intend to take more ski holidays over the next five years" says Roy Barker, Director of SPIKE. "We wouldn't interpret that is saying the market is set to boom, but longer term it shows the ski market is in good shape for the future."
Other findings from the survey were that Italy has chosen as the top destination nation for UK skiers based on ratings for quality of skiing, accommodation value for money, restaurants and bars, lifts and activities outside skiing.
Eastern Europe scored the lowest when it came to the perception of quality among respondents, although it scored highly when it came to value for money. Switzerland was rated as the least value for money.
North America was home to four of the top five individual ski resorts in terms of popularity, with Whistler in Canada rated the best overall ski resort in the world with a satisfaction score of 72.9, followed by Banff, (63.1) Vail (61.5) and Breckenridge (59.7).
Tignes in France was fifth in the world and best In Europe with (43.5).
SPIKE says the survey is, "...part of an ongoing project to provide insight and direction for the ski industry."