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Le Ski’s battle over ski guiding in France rolls into another winter season 02

theskitrade.com | @theskitrade

Winter Sports Industry News

As I walked up the steps to the very grand

looking central London hotel for my meeting

with Nick Morgan of Le Ski, I was greeted by a

mass of paparazzi photographers with raised

lenses, slowly drooping at the disappointment

of my arrival rather than their expected prey.

I knew Morgan had attracted some widespread

publicity, but this seemed a little excessive for

someone who’s simply taking on the French

in order to provide ski hosting services for his

chalet guests.

The story has been raging on for some time

now, ever since one of Morgan’s ”hosts” was

pulled up by a gendarme on the slopes of

Méribel. First accused of illicit ski teaching, but

able to prove they were simply hosting, they

found themselves out of the pan and into the

fire. As it turned out, hosting chalet guests on

the slopes was also a very naughty thing to do.

A local court case ensued and Morgan lost,

ending any ski hosting in France mid-season by

every chalet operator, with the exception of the

few sneaky independents dressed up as guests.

News of the case reached far beyond the

specialist ski publications and into the

national media, sparking a new Anglo-

French spat that sucked in the École du Ski

Français (ESF), who support the case but

didn’t actually start it, and created a debate

as to whether British tourists should choose

other destinations for their snow holidays.

All of this has certainly helped to put Le Ski, in

the spotlight. But has that been a good thing

or not? ”Our Facebook page Likes went right

up directly after the verdict, which was good,

if not a bit silly,” said Morgan. ”It’s common

to blame foreigners for problems when the

economy is tough, but all the tour operators

do is bring money in.” He continues, ”the local

instructors think that our guests will ski with

them because we can’t, but it’s just not the

case.” Morgan points out that ski lessons and

hosting are a completely different service.

I asked him how he expected to win this case

when the law in France seems quite clear

about hosting skiers or snowboarders on the

slopes. ”Yes, true to a point, but in 2011 a word

equivalent to ‘accompanying’ was added to

this law, and this word is open to interpretation.

That’s where the courts come in. But under

European regulations you’re not allowed to

make a restrictive practice law like that,” he

says, confidently.

So then I put it to him that we, the British, are

simply being picked on. ”No,” says Morgan,

”we’re not being picked on,” suggesting that

it’s the ESF in Méribel who think they’re being

picked on, as they have already claimed

substantial damages for loss of earnings due

to ”illegal” hosting, ”but the ESF instructors

on the ground all think it’s bonkers to attack a

business partner,” he adds.

And when I ask how the industry will be

impacted this winter by the current situation

of not being able to offer a hosting service,

Morgan is very vocal about the support he’s had

from the other major operators. ”Around 90%

of the UK tour operator market have agreed

not to provide hosting this winter in France. It’s

unprecedented in terms of the support agreed

between these companies.” I want to know if

they are all helping to pay the bills and Morgan

again talks with confidence. ”Firstly, we will win

this case in the European courts, and secondly,

we are in a strong position to fight it without

impacting on our business.”

But is there a genuine safety issue out there

I ask? Unqualified members of staff are

responsible for their clients on a mountain,

surely that is out of step with where instructors

are, or other professions? ”This case has not

come about because of accidents, it can’t be

dangerous for clients to ski with hosts, there’s

no logic in that.” I point out that if a serious

accident did happen with a ski host from

another company during the case then it would

look bad. ”Yes” says Morgan. ”It would.”

So why will British snow sports tourists

continue to holiday in the French Alps more

than any other destination? What is the appeal

of a chalet holiday in Courchevel, Val d’Isère or

La Tania (where Le Ski operate)? Morgan, after

30 years in the business (Le Ski celebrated

their 30th anniversary last winter) is clear. ”It’s

because almost everything is prepaid and

provided by the tour operator. They have a

British host pick them up at Chambery airport,

02 theskitrade.com | @theskitrade November 2013 | Issue 02

Le Ski’SNick MorgaN TaLkS Ski guidiNgIt’s this winter’s big issue and it could affect your business. Here’s where we’re at with ski guiding...

"No, we're not being picked on, but the ESF instructors on the ground all think it’s bonkers to attack a business partner"

Rob Stewartco-editor

03theskitrade.com | @theskitradeIssue 02 | November 2013

Le Ski’SNick MorgaN TaLkS Ski guidiNg

Le Ski chalet hosts and the other clients all

speak the same language.”

During the boom years between 2002 and

2008 there was a growth in independent chalet

operators catering for the expanding budget

airline routes, many of them have now fallen by

the wayside. After 30 successful years, what

advice could Morgan give any prospective

operator? ”It’s very difficult to get into the ski

business today. Getting properly bonded is

expensive and you need a minimum of five

chalets to make it work.” I guess I didn’t expect

him to invite newcomers to provide competition

for what’s already a crowded market, but

perhaps there are some new operators out

there that have other experiences?

As I walked out of the swanky hotel to the click

of cameras I was informed that the paparazzi

were there for the premier of Rush, a film about

Formula One in the 1970s, and the dual between

the Austrian Nicky Lauder and the Brit James

Hunt. Morgan is a free man, although just around

the corner is perhaps the biggest reminder

of conflict between France and England ever,

Trafalgar Square, and I wondered if Morgan can

pull off a Nelson-style victory or not.

As anyone who works in the snow sports

industry knows, winter is never far away.

In contrast to the rest of the population,

we’re constantly wishing those long

summer days away, longing for December

when the lights switch on and the cameras

start to roll.

Any tour operator, retailer or marketing

company involved in the snow sports

industry started their winter in June.

Brochures were printed, stock was

purchased, recruitment finalised.

By now, anything that hasn’t been done in

preparation for the season should either

be labelled as ”panic” or simply forgotten

about. Our winter starts now, and we want

everyone else to think in the same way.

The ski and snowboard magazines are on

the shelves, the temperature’s dropping,

and you’re at a ski show. We can all sniff

snow in the air and it gets us excited, it’s

what we live for. All year we work hard

doing our jobs, but we’re in this industry for

one reason – we love being on snow.

The first edition of The Ski Trade was sent

to thousands of trade members, and our

dedicated industry website has been online for

6 weeks. We were writing about snow during

the heat of the summer and we, like you, share

in the excitement of what’s to come.

The positive response to our launch issue

was very encouraging indeed. Thanks to

everyone who took the time to get in touch.

We’ve got a features list as long as a pair of

powder skis this winter, and we’re looking

forward to sharing industry news and

developments with you.

Will this be another bumper snow year? Will

we hear reports of high booking demand

across the European Alps? Will more UK

skiers decide to buy their own skis, rather

than compromise on renting? Are we likely

to see more car and train journeys to the

Alps as the costs of flights rise? The Ski Trade will be monitoring the press releases,

social media channels, and online forums

for winter sports news and developments.

Get in touch if you’d like to share your

views, we’d love to hear them.

rob@theskitrade.com

amie@theskitrade.com

Rob Stewart + Amie Postingsco-editors

doN’T WeJuST Lovea LoNg coLd WiNTer?

And From The ESF

Simon Atkinson is Director of the ESF in La Rosière and we asked him for his personal

opinion on the ski guiding ban. “French Law does stipulate anyone 'teaching,

escorting or guiding people on the slopes' is doing so illegally without the appropriate

qualifications. At the moment you could argue that the qualification, being the French

Diploma or equivalent (BASI 4 or BASI 3 and 2 with test technique), is a little too much

to demand to take people out on the slopes. But on the other hand to argue the point

with a French court of law that a UK tour company should be allowed to take people

out with no qualification whatsoever (as is the case with most tour companies) is

probably a little bit exaggerated.”

Be Social

It’s been in the pipeline for some time, but

“.SKI” domain registration will commence this

winter season, according to creators Starting

Dot. There’ll no doubt, be a rush to purchase

the most valuable domains when they go on

sale in March 2014, but .SKI web addresses will

only be available to snow sports community

members and brands. Pre-registration for

domains is currently available on the dot-ski.

com website, where registering your interest

is free and non-binding, and apparently tens

of thousands of people have already done

just that. Domains will be priced at under $100

(approx. £63), and a number of large industry

organisations have signed up to support and

endorse the project.

.SKI internet addressesto launch this season

Right now, two-thirds of your current and potential

client base are tweeting, status updating and

snapping pictures to share with their peers.

They’re sharing likes and dislikes, feedback on

restaurant experiences, and crucially, their winter

holiday plans. How you choose to interact with

them will depend on many factors, but according

to our latest research, 98% of you can’t ignore

the power of social media in your winter sports

business.

View the full results at theskitrade.com

96% of the winter sports industry members

questioned use Facebook, often multiple times a

day, to interact with previous, current and future

clients. Twitter was the second most popular

social media site for the winter sports industry,

followed by LinkedIn and YouTube.

Creating general market awareness, rather

than directly targeting new customers is the main

aim of your social media strategy.

In addition to interacting with previous, current

and future customers through social media, 44%

of winter sports businesses use their social media

strategy to communicate with the media.

92% of those questioned believe that their

social media activity has a direct impact on their

business bottom line.

Redbull’s social media strategy often wins ”best in

show” awards. With over 40m fans on Facebook

and 1.1m followers on Twitter, Red Bull dominates

the world of social media in action sports. The

Redbull-sponsored Art of Flight snowboard movie

generated 10m trailer views from both within and

outside the snow sports community, inspiring a

whole new generation to try snowboarding.

Social media messages at independent chalet

operator Powder White add to the overall holiday

experience believes Co-Founder Fraser Ewart-

White. ”We use our social media platforms to

share our hundreds of seasons of knowledge, as

well as useful on the ground information from our

teams in resort. Example posts include new airline

launches, Eurostar ticket sales, weather and snow

conditions. We’re really focusing our energies on

our social media channels this winter.”

Phil Keith launched Snow Vole in 2012, having

identified the need for a new social networking

site for skiers and snowboarders. ”Social media

is where the industry and skiing public can merge

and share their passions instantly. Do social

media well, and a business will have a 'friend'

and potential client for life. Do it badly, and you'll

watch the potential pot of clients dwindle.”

Hardwear and outerwear manufacturers also play

an important role in engaging the winter sports

community. At Protest Boardwear, Verena Garner

targets their market using channels that really matter

to them. ”We want to be part of our customer’s lives

and we want them to be part of ours. We share

information on contests, events, our riders and their

performance. We involve our followers in product

development and we try to add valuable content

every day. It’s all about balance.”

Ski Trade Social Media Tips

Content is king. Make your messages useful and

interesting to build brand loyalty and trust. Be

the experts on your resort, your products or your

industry sector, then your market will follow you.

Be tribal. 500 genuinely meaningful followers

who interact with your messages are significantly

more effective than 5000 ”paid for” or forced

followers. Contrary to popular belief, social media

isn’t always a popularity contest.

Not answering a tweet is like not answering the

phone. Make sure you have systems in place to

monitor all social media interaction as quickly as

possible. If someone prompts a conversation, it’s

up to you to continue it.

Engage. Churning out messages and responding

when prompted isn’t enough on social media.

Genuinely effective strategies ask questions,

prompting comments, and engage the rest of the

market.

The 80/20 rule. When your marketing messages

are too obvious on social media, your market will

stop following you. Be 80% useful and interesting,

and 20% promotional to strike the right balance.

Snowsports PR Company launches in Hong Kong

Sell your remaining chalet bedrooms on TripAdvisor?

04 theskitrade.com | @theskitrade

Amie Postingsco-editor

Carrie Salmon and Kirsty Mullens have set up

a brand new Hong Kong-based venture, which

will help promote UK snow sports businesses in

the Far East region, called CK Ski. With over 16

years’ experience in the industry between them,

they feel they are well placed to take advantage

of the growing demand for winter holidays from

both the established and growing markets in Asia.

”Our research into the Hong Kong and Chinese

snow sports market has revealed huge potential,

following the rise of outbound tourism,“ enthuses

Salmon, ”and we want to help our snow sports

clients leverage this. Whether it is a tourist board

seeking to increase their awareness or a tour

operator aiming to target segments of the market

to convert sales, we can help.”

Many Alpine chalets and hotels are increasingly

using online travel agents (OTAs), such as

booking.com and lastminute.com, to fill unsold

bedrooms during the winter season. For

some, the reliance is much heavier in the late

season and summer months. Guest review

website TripAdvisor has now stepped into the

accommodation sales market with TripAdvisor

Connect. Businesses pay a fee to be listed,

enabling travellers to book online through their

TripAdvisor subscription, and then face a pay-

per-click fee too. Is it becoming increasingly

impossible for independent ski accommodation

owners to use these sales channels? Can your

margins afford an average commission fee of

18%? Have your say at theskitrade.com.

French chalets and hotels must label their dishes

New rules regarding homemade menu items will

impact French restaurants, hotels, and chalets

serving non-resident diners from now on. The

French senate has approved the controversial

”fait maison” bill, forcing restaurateurs and

hotels to label dishes made in-house using

fresh ingredients. In turn, this means you might

discover that your favourite tartiflette served

at your local restaurant isn’t in fact made by

Madame, as you’d imagined. There’s concern

across France that restaurant standards are

declining, and it’s hoped that the ”fait maison”

bill will improve the country’s culinary offering to

international tourists. Will you be highlighting your

”fait maison” menu items to your winter guests?

Let us know at theskitrade.com.

November 2013 | Issue 02

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Ski resorts have long since known that

being ‘environment-friendly’ is not only

good for PR, and perhaps food for the

long term sustainability of the communities

where they exist, but can also save money.

A decade ago, if a resort decided to go

around retro-fitting low-energy light bulbs

on timer switches to ‘cut emissions’ (…

but also quickly cut costs), it was seen as

a news story, now, as energy costs have

continued to spiral, it’s a case of “well

they’d be mad not to!”

The bigger spend, announced year after

year, is on energy efficiency in snowmaking,

a business which not only costs the

average top tier resorts many millions of

pounds to install, but also a similar amount

in energy consumption each winter.

Having spent huge sums on installing

and expanding their snowmaking

systems, resorts are now spending again

on retro-fitting new systems which can

dramatically cut energy consumption by

up to 80% and thus pay for themselves

within a few years, while also reducing

environmental impact.

Sunday River in Maine, for example,

has announced a $5.7 million dollar

spend on increased snowmaking this

season by installing 200 new energy

efficient snowguns manufactured by

HKD Snowmakers, as part of the resort’s

commitment to improved snowmaking,

while using less energy.

Things are gradually moving forward with

ski lifts too. Not only are more than 100

ski areas now supplied with 100% green

energy they either make themselves with,

for example, hydro plants (Whistler), or

methane gas-to-powder plants (Aspen,

Colorado) or solar arrays (Werfenweng,

Austria ) or giant wind turbines (Berskshire

East, Massachusetts,), several are now

installing ski lifts that generate more

electricity than they use.

For example, a new conveyor lift from

manufacturer Sunkid in Austria’s Ziller

Valley generates more power than it

uses, thanks to an array of 74 solar panels

along the top of the translucent weather

protection gallery that runs along the 180m

length of the lift.

“The new Moving Carpet Gallery enclosure

equipped with solar panels produces more

green power than it actually requires.

The excess 6000 kWh of green energy

electricity can then be provided to the

power grid,” confirmed project manager

Manuel Kammerer.

For larger lifts we’re not quite there yet

but getting closer. Doppelmayr’s new

Schwarzeckbahn eight seat chairlifts with

heated seats, locking safety bars and pull-

down weather protection hoods at Lofer,

Salzburgerland in Austria has 240m2 of

photovoltaic cells on the south facing side

of its base station providing a sizable chunk

of its power requirements.

Another new lift, the six-seater

Hüttenkopfbahn chairlift which runs to

the top of Golm Mountain in the Montafon

ski region in Vorarlberg and also has

heated seats, child-friendly footrests and

pull-down weather protection hoods,

has put a figure on it and notes that it

is able to meet a third of its total power

requirement (180,000 kWh p.a. for 1,000

operating hours) from photovoltaic cells

integrated into the glass at the sides of the

lift stations.

So, we’re not quite there yet with ski lifts, but

the speed of development is breath-taking

and it appears to be only a matter of time.

Patrick Thornecolumnist

reSorTSNoW geNeraTiNg Their oWNgreeN eNergy

Issue 02 | November 2013

Suggestions that snowboarding was on the wane

came trickling out of the US last winter. Equipment

sales had dropped by 21% The New York Times

told us. Participation rates had decreased by

22% said Time magazine. Some even claimed

that Shaun White’s drunken antics in a Nashville

hotel were to blame for the decline of an entire

industry. Will Europe follow suit?

Evidence from almost every corner of the

snowboarding community suggests that

snowboarding continues to be the winter

sport of choice for as many Europeans as ever

before. This October, global sports giant Adidas

has launched its first snowboard boot and

outerwear collection, while Nike has spent big

on this winter’s ”must see” movie Never Not. We

doubt they’d bother to invest if the industry was

shrinking. Yes, we have the supremely talented

James Woods hitting up the park on twin-tip

skis and surely heading for Olympic glory, and

there’s no doubt that this will inspire both adults

and children to give skiing a go. But am I about

to swap my trusty steed for a pair of planks as a

result? Absolutely not.

Jeremy Sladen, Snowboard Operations

Manager at The Snowboard Asylum (TSA) is

a lot more confident heading into this winter

season than he’s been in a long time. ”For sure

it’s been a difficult couple of years. We can

trace the drop in snowboard hardwear sales to

the start of the recession, when women’s sales

fell off a cliff. The youth demographic were hit

hard and there was a huge oversupply issue.”

TSA report a lot of early season interest in

snowboards, particularly for freeride brands

over jib focused boards.

A poll taken at Chill Factore in Manchester in

August found a 350% increase in snowboard

take-up levels during the first 6 months of this

year, mainly due to 50+ ”silver snowboarders”.

Over at Burton Snowboards, the Riglet Park

concept is rolling out across Europe, with the aim

of teaching snowboarding to really small kids

using a unique Riglet Reel – a retractable cord

attached to mini shredder’s snowboards.

There’s plenty of innovation in the hardwear

market too. It’s easy to remember a time when

splitboards were homemade contraptions, made

using someone else’s instructions and a lot of

old kit. Jones, Voile, Burton, GNU and K2 quickly

responded to demand from the market, giving

snowboarders as much access to the backcountry

as their skiing counterparts. This development

continues and we’re pretty much guaranteed

exciting new products each season.

Have your say at theskitrade.com.

06 theskitrade.com | @theskitrade

Ski Weekends chalet host courses a huge success

Cheaper transport for your seasons baggage

Amie Postingsco-editor

Bored ofSNoWBoardiNg?Not On This Side Of The Pond

For the second autumn in a row, Ski Weekends

has run a successful chalet host cookery course

for wannabe season workers at their chalet in

Morzine. The week-long course trains students in

chalet essentials, including cookery, menu planning,

shopping, cleaning, accounting, and that all-important

introduction to resort life, improving their employment

prospects significantly – they quickly learn that

being a chalet host is nothing like the movie Chalet Girl!. Ralph Chatburn, Overseas Manager, explained,

”We train some excellent candidates who are really

committed to working in the industry. We invite chalet

operators to meet and interview the candidates here

in Morzine. This year, pretty much all of them received

job offers by the end of the week.“ Find out more at

skiweekends.com.

Does a World SnowAward affect business?

The second annual World Snow Awards takes

place in London on 1 November this year,

good luck to all the winter sports businesses

shortlisted. What impact does winning a

World Snow Award have on a business, we

wondered? Virginie Dupe, Press Officer at

Avoriaz 1800, winner of ”Best Family Resort”

in 2012, told The Ski Trade, ”Winning the

award in November meant it was too late for

us to measure the impact in terms of visitor

numbers, but we did receive many media

mentions in France and in the UK, therefore

improving awareness of the resort. The press

coverage was also undoubtedly reassuring for

families who were in the process of choosing

their ski resort.”

UK-based transport company Deliveries to the

Alps makes two trips to the French Alps each

week, and it has launched a new seasonaire

package for winter. Rather than carry a whole

season’s worth of kit to the mountains by

plane or coach, Deliveries to the Alps collect

from your home address, drive it to your

season pad, collect what’s left at the end

of the season, and drive it back home. The

weight allowance is 30kg per bag, everything’s

insured, and prices start from £68 return.

They also transport other items too, from

sofas to washing machines, and snow tyres to

snowboards. For more info and a quote, tweet

Andy at @deliveryandy.

Win a ChaletManager for a whole year!

Reservation software provider ChaletManager

is giving away a full year’s system access to one

lucky chalet operator. If you’d rather do less

work in your office, and more play in the powder

this winter season ( just like chalet operator

Charlie Bulbrook on page 8), ChaletManager’s

comprehensive ”red” package offers full access

to all system functions, including reservations,

guest relationship tracking, report sharing,

maintenance logs, airport transfer scheduling,

bookings calendars, and a lot more. To enter

the competition visit chaletmanager.com/

competition, enter your name and e-mail address

and wait until 30 November. A winner will be

chosen at random after this date, just in time for

the start of the new season.

November 2013 | Issue 02

ChaletManagerjust got bigger...And better, of course. A slick new interface has been launched along with the ability for guests to pay for their holiday via their own secure MyBooking area.

These are just two of the hundreds of new features that we have launched over the summer. Joining real-time availability on your website,

a MyBooking area for guests to enter their details, transfers, finance, expenses, reporting and so much more. Contact us for a free trial and see for yourself.

www.chaletmanager.comhello@chaletmanager.com+44 (0) 1865 522199

ChaletManager allows us to more effectively manage our bookings

and client information...specif ic to our very ‘specif ic’ industry!

Olly & Emma Lambourne, Mountain Mavericks, Morzine

07theskitrade.com | @theskitrade

The growth in safety equipment has helped brands

fill a gap in sales – but how far can it go before

things start to get dangerous for the industry again?

The growth of sales in off-piste safety equipment

is booming. According to Snowsports Industries

America, 2012 saw a 19% increase in sales of

backpacks, transceivers, shovels and probes.

More new safety tools are being introduced into

the market, and this winter we’ll see an increased

amount of riders with avalanche airbag systems on

their backs. Despite the price, sales of these systems

are booming.

But does the increase in the different types of

safety equipment marginalise skiers without

them? Or indeed put people off skiing altogether,

because it gives the impression it's a dangerous

sport? I put this to Henry Schniewind of Henry’s

Off-Piste in Val d’Isère, France. ”No. The high

visibility of safety equipment helps to make

people more aware of the danger and realise

that there is the need to take precautions. This

can only be a good thing. Knowing that there is

safety equipment out there may even encourage

newcomers to take up off-piste skiing.”

But how can skiers or snowboarders continue

to purchase every piece of safety equipment,

and where will it end? We made some rough

calculations to see what it would cost for

someone without any safety equipment to get

fully kitted-out with what’s now considered to be

”essential kit” for off-piste skiing.

Approximate retail price of safety equipment

Backpack with airbag system: £600 Transceiver: £200 Shovel and probe: £100 Helmet: £90 Back protector: £70

”You can’t put a price on your life” is a phrase that’s

often used. But the point is, how far can the industry

push it before the cost simply becomes too much,

even to help save your life?

I spoke to Sam Noble of Noble Custom, distributors

of Ortovox in the UK, and asked him if skiers and

snowboarders can continue to justify spending

money on new safety equipment. ”I don’t think they

have to spend more money than they did 10 years

ago. The essentials you need to go into the back

country (transceiver, shovel, probe and pack to carry

it) have not increased in price, in fact the cost has

come down. The reason that people are thinking

they are having to spend more money is that more

and more people are going into the backcountry,

and also the message has got out that these items

are essential, not luxury items.

There has been a big growth in avalanche airbag

sales recently and it’s where there is some

justification required, as it is a big spend, but one

which can clearly be justified with the statistics

of survival rates at 97% for those caught in an

avalanche and deploying their airbag. Also, there are

plenty of places where you can rent them from if you

are only going away for a week a year.”

Another new development on the market is from

US company Icedot. It has two separate safety

products that are both suitable for snow sports.

The first is a band that the rescue services use to

retrieve crucial medical information from victims

unable to communicate due to trauma. The other is

a crash sensor that’s built into a helmet. This sensor

is designed to set off an alarm that informs the

emergency services of your location in the event of

a serious accident that has left you unconscious. The

company has partnered with POC Helmets, and the

device alone retails for $150 (£94).

So what’s next? How far will we go to protect

ourselves out there, when ultimately there’s no

absolute guarantee of staying safe – unless we don’t

go outside at all?

Safety In Numbers

Issue 02 | November 2013

Last winter 15,000 university students

and graduates took an organised snow

sports trip with student ski specialist

Wasteland Ski. It seems the increasing

cost of higher education, and a slow

economy, aren’t enough to dent the

growing university ski market. This

year’s Crystal Ski Report showed a

similar trend. While the schools and

students segment overall shrank by

2%, when measured independently,

the student ski market is growing. As

Wasteland Ski Small Groups Sales

Manager Laura Wilkinson explains, this

growing demand could fill an important

gap in off peak weeks for many resort-

based suppliers.

How has demand for student ski trips changed?

Wasteland Ski began in 1992, taking a

few hundred students from the Royal

Agricultural College to Val d’Isère.

Its aim was to take the elitist sport of

skiing and make it available to mere

mortals, breaking the stereotype of the

sport. Its goal remains the same after

21 years – to provide affordable, truly

memorable holidays so trippers grow

to love snow sports. Last year 15,000

students joined the company on trips

to 11 different resorts.

What demand levels are you experiencing now?

The student snow sports market is

undoubtedly blossoming, and we

receive more and more enquiries year

on year. We see no reason for this not

to continue. The work that Wasteland

and other tour operators have done

to help snow sports societies across

the UK grow has undoubtedly had an

effect on the market.

How are you managing this increasing demand?

We’re adapting to deal with

increased competition and increasing

expectations. Maintaining a high

level of service is key, as is driving

new product innovation. The summer

market is also an area of interest for us,

while our events management division

is responsible for many exciting

on-snow events, such as the British

University Snowsports Championships,

which this year will be held at Alpe

d’Huez in France.

How do you work with your resort-based suppliers in the Alps?

We’ve built excellent relationships

with them all; from lift pass offices to

accommodation providers, restaurants

and bars. They know we’re a company

they can trust, and we’re extremely

grateful for the great service that they

provide to our student trippers. Our

only issue right now is stock. With

constantly increasing demand we’re

always on the look out for new resort-

based suppliers.

How can suppliers get involved in the market?

The student ski sector of the winter

sports market is growing, and we’re

always looking for new products

to compliment the Wasteland Ski

range. We’re looking for new resorts,

and higher quality accommodation

stock, such as chalets for the

graduate market. There are many

opportunities for resort-based

suppliers if they get involved now as

the market expands.

How does the future look for the student ski market?

There’s no doubt that it’s evolving into

a more “event-based” trip market,

where a ski or snowboard holiday

also includes a large event or music

festival, either on- or off-piste, in resort.

We believe that this attracts a greater

number of beginners, which is fantastic

for the snow sports industry as a

whole, both now and in the future. Our

“Tignes Takeover Week” in December

for example, brings 1500 students

from multiple universities together for

a fantastic experience on the snow.

For many this will be their first snow

sports holiday, and we want them to

get hooked!

Contact laura@wastelandski.com for

more information on working with the

student ski market this winter.

I’d been working for a high-end tour

operator for a couple of seasons, and

with a hospitality degree under my belt

and lots of friends in the snowboard

industry, I knew I could offer a different

style of chalet holiday. I took the

plunge in 2011–12, with my first catered

chalet in La Plagne. I wasn’t naïve

enough to imagine endless days riding

powder, before nipping back to the

chalet to whip up a quick dinner for my

guests – I knew from experience that

there’d be a lot of hard work involved.

At the same time snowboarding and

the mountains are my life, I still wanted

to have time to enjoy them.

An important segment of our

target market are ex-seasonaires,

consequently I usually take my

guests to the best bars, get them

seasonaire drinks prices, take them to

the coolest resort events… they really

get a different holiday experience. Of

course, this makes my winter sound

like loads of fun. But in reality, I’m

still running a business and I use the

ChaletManager software system to

help me.

Admin is probably the most time-

consuming part of my chalet business.

I could just about keep on top of

reservations admin before, but with

increased capacity for this coming

winter season, I’m juggling a lot of

reservations at any one time. And, of

course, the enquiries and reservations

don’t stop when the season starts.

The “enquiry” function in the

ChaletManager system means I can

log all potential reservations and chase

them up really easy from wherever

I happen to be in the world – be it a

chairlift or a deckchair. I’m basically

carrying my reservations system

around with me at all times, and this

gives me loads of freedom during the

summer and inter-season months.

ChaletManager will save me a lot

of time this coming winter, and

that’s essentially why I use it in my

chalet business. I can reinvest this

time in making sure that my chalet

guests have loads of fun during their

holiday, or I can head off into the

backcountry by myself for some well-

earned me time!

ChaletManager

www.chaletmanager.com

Alpoholics:

www.alpoholics.co.uk

My Work life Balance Is Spot On!Charlie Bulbrook, Alpoholics

A Growing Market: Student Ski Trips

08 theskitrade.com | @theskitrade

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November 2013 | Issue 02