Ski deals galore as holiday sales slide, but beware of the euro

By Lucy Ballinger and Daniel Bates

Why not take advantage of the great skiing holiday deals on offer?


Desperate ski holiday firms are slashing prices by up to 60 per cent - with even luxury resorts offering huge discounts.

But the downside for those tempted by the deals is that prices for food and ski hire on the continent have shot up by around 40 per cent in the past two years.

And there are fears many in the UK have been put off skiing altogether by the rises which have largely been caused by the strength of the euro.

Now, with holiday bookings down by almost a third, tour operators are scrambling to shift unsold packages.

Ski specialist Snow Finders was last night offering a week in Ischgl in the Austrian Alps

at the four-star Hotel Seiblishof - a premium resort renowned for not offering deals - for £614 per person, down by 40 per cent on the original price of £1,046.

Directski.com had seven nights in the three- star Résidence Cybële apartments in Méribel, France, including flights, for just £179 per person, down 55 per cent from £399.

The same company was offering a week in the two- star Schindlhaus Apartments in Soll, Austria, reduced from £499 per person, including flights, to £209, a saving of 60 per cent.

After a 6 per cent drop in sales last year and the collapse of three major travel companies - including Descent International, whose clients included Prince Andrew - firms cut the amount of ski holidays they were selling by 20 per cent in preparation for a difficult season.

But with bookings this winter down 30 per cent, operators are left with many unsold holidays.

Ski writer Peter Hardy, who runs website welove2ski, said: 'Sales are significantly down due to the recession and because the strength of the euro.

'To buy a bowl of spaghetti bolognese on the mountain can cost £14, and when you have got a family to buy a meal for, that adds up. People just don't have the money to go on holiday.'

Travel experts suspect many skiers are choosing to hit the
slopes once, rather than up to three times. They also believe canny snow-seekers are holding off booking to secure one of the many last-minute bargains.

Snow Finders said its website was so inundated with late deals from tour operators that it could not update it quickly enough. It recommended customers phone for up-to-date offers.

Lisa Tyrrell, of travel firm Inghams, said bookings had been slow all season.

She said: 'Instead of going five star, people are settling for three star, and instead of going two or three times a year, they can only afford to go the once.'

But she added: 'They are picking up some really good last-minute deals because holidays still aren't sold.'





source: dailymail