We all know that skiing is not a cheap sport and that ski holidays are one of the most expensive kinds of holidays that exists. You’ve booked your flights, ski accommodation, pre-booked your ski equipment and lessons and the ski holiday budget is already through the roof! Then comes that moment when you remember the ski passes for the whole family - for the whole week! In some ski resorts the price of the ski pass can amount to 25% of the total ski holiday cost so it is normal to ask yourself the question – why are ski passes so expensive? Read on to find out where your money goes and where you can find the cheapest ski passes…
We decided to look more closely at ski pass prices in our favourite ski holiday destination – the French Alps. 300 billion euros is the figure given by professional operators of the ski areas, representing public boards, private companies and joint venture companies. Each year, 300 billion euros are spent to equip French ski resorts with new ski lifts, snowmaking facilities, snowcats and other maintenance work required up on the ski slopes to keep everything in perfect working order. It is certainly due to these investments that French ski resorts have a good price / quality ratio with regards to ski passes and are placed leader in the global ski market, ahead of the United States and Austria, with 57.9 million individual skier days sold in the winter 2012/2013 season - a figure which is up by 5 % compared to the previous season. Other major expenses that are passed on ski passes are those of the staff who manage, run and maintain the ski lifts and related services and areas. This cost represents 30% of revenue and then taxes and contributions represent more than 20 %! When you add up the total costs, the profits are not that high!
Well you might be surprised to know that the cheapest ski passes in the world are French ski passes! In Austria, for example, a ski pass is, on average, 11% more expensive than in France. In Switzerland this number climbs to an amazing 17%! If you like to find a good ski pass deal, then keep an eye on ski pass prices in Italian ski resorts. Last winter season, Italy increased its share of individual skier days in the world ski market by 33% and could become a serious competitor for ski passes prices.
Despite inflation not exceeding 2% in France, ski passes for the 2013/2014 season seem to have reached an all-time high! The French financial website « France-transactions.com » has announced an average increase of more than 5% on ski pass prices in French ski resorts this winter. We checked out the official websites of some of our favorite French ski resorts and it seems this is really the case with sometimes as much as a 7% increase on one-day ski passes... These high ski pass prices and increases are why we always advise the purchase of family or group ski passes. Read our recent article about where to find good ski pass deals. And don’t forget that IF you are lucky enough to get away a few times each season, think about buying a season ski pass for your favourite ski area - especially if they offer summer skiing too! Keep in mind that you usually have to buy these season passes very early on in the season to get a good deal. If you’re looking for ways to make your ski holiday more affordable, you might also find our article about how to beat the recession on the slopes useful – it’s packed with tips and advice about how to save a little money here and there when booking, and once on your ski holiday.
Good luck with the ski holiday budgeting and we hope we've helped you make your ski holiday a little bit more affordable than last year. Leave a comment and share any other helpful tips you might have and don't forget you can join us on Facebook to keep up to date with all the latest skiing and snowboarding news...
We all know that skiing is not a cheap sport and that ski holidays are one of the most expensive kinds of holidays that exists. You’ve booked your flights, ski accommodation, pre-booked your ski equipment and lessons and the ski holiday budget is already through the roof! Then comes that moment when you remember the ski passes for the whole family - for the whole week! In some ski resorts the price of the ski pass can amount to 25% of the total ski holiday cost so it is normal to ask yourself the question – why are ski passes so expensive? Read on to find out where your money goes and where you can find the cheapest ski passes…
We decided to look more closely at ski pass prices in our favourite ski holiday destination – the French Alps. 300 billion euros is the figure given by professional operators of the ski areas, representing public boards, private companies and joint venture companies. Each year, 300 billion euros are spent to equip French ski resorts with new ski lifts, snowmaking facilities, snowcats and other maintenance work required up on the ski slopes to keep everything in perfect working order. It is certainly due to these investments that French ski resorts have a good price / quality ratio with regards to ski passes and are placed leader in the global ski market, ahead of the United States and Austria, with 57.9 million individual skier days sold in the winter 2012/2013 season - a figure which is up by 5 % compared to the previous season. Other major expenses that are passed on ski passes are those of the staff who manage, run and maintain the ski lifts and related services and areas. This cost represents 30% of revenue and then taxes and contributions represent more than 20 %! When you add up the total costs, the profits are not that high!
Well you might be surprised to know that the cheapest ski passes in the world are French ski passes! In Austria, for example, a ski pass is, on average, 11% more expensive than in France. In Switzerland this number climbs to an amazing 17%! If you like to find a good ski pass deal, then keep an eye on ski pass prices in Italian ski resorts. Last winter season, Italy increased its share of individual skier days in the world ski market by 33% and could become a serious competitor for ski passes prices.
Despite inflation not exceeding 2% in France, ski passes for the 2013/2014 season seem to have reached an all-time high! The French financial website « France-transactions.com » has announced an average increase of more than 5% on ski pass prices in French ski resorts this winter. We checked out the official websites of some of our favorite French ski resorts and it seems this is really the case with sometimes as much as a 7% increase on one-day ski passes... These high ski pass prices and increases are why we always advise the purchase of family or group ski passes. Read our recent article about where to find good ski pass deals. And don’t forget that IF you are lucky enough to get away a few times each season, think about buying a season ski pass for your favourite ski area - especially if they offer summer skiing too! Keep in mind that you usually have to buy these season passes very early on in the season to get a good deal. If you’re looking for ways to make your ski holiday more affordable, you might also find our article about how to beat the recession on the slopes useful – it’s packed with tips and advice about how to save a little money here and there when booking, and once on your ski holiday.
Good luck with the ski holiday budgeting and we hope we've helped you make your ski holiday a little bit more affordable than last year. Leave a comment and share any other helpful tips you might have and don't forget you can join us on Facebook to keep up to date with all the latest skiing and snowboarding news...
Being lucky enough to have parents who were crazy about skiing, my love for the mountains started when I was 4 years old on our first family ski holiday to Austrian ski resort of Obergurl. One ski holiday a year was never enough and tears rolled down my face as I looked out the back window of the car on the drive down the valley on the way home!
