The annual Post Office Ski Resort Report has found that whilst prices at ski areas in most Eurozone countries have risen due to the weakening pound following the Brexit vote, costs for Brits skiing in the Italian resorts they examined are effectively unchanged as prices in resort have apparently dropped in line with the pound.
The Post Office Report has been compiled for ten seasons now, examining a small sample group of 26 resorts in Europe and North America, with data provided by Crystal Ski Holidays. It invariably finds Bulgaria the cheapest destination and says this is the same again for the 2016 report with combined cost of for equipment hire, lift passes and ski tuition for six days plus a meal and drinks on the slopes coming in at £270.77 at Bansko.
“Italy’s Sestriere (£354.98) (pictured above) has moved up to third cheapest place in the table from fifth position last year on the back of an 11 per cent fall in euro ski costs. Once the sterling rate is applied, prices in the resort are level with last season – making this the best deal across the eurozone. Elsewhere in Italy, local euro prices are on par with a year ago in Livigno (£363.84) and Selva Val Gardena (£470.30), and down four per cent in La Thuile (£456.45),” say the report’s authors, who add.
“By contrast, local prices have snowballed across the nine Austrian and French resorts surveyed. Once the exchange rate is applied, skiers can therefore expect to pay an average of 20 per cent more than last season in Austrian resorts and 26 per cent extra in French ones.”
“Ski resort costs are likely to play an important part in destination choice this year as the weaker pound puts pressure on the holiday purse. That’s why it is so important to do your homework before booking and factor in all the costs of a ski holiday to the package price. Despite the price rises we found this year, there are still some great value resorts to choose from in Eastern Europe, while Italy is looking good as well and will appeal to skiers who prefer to head to the slopes in one of the long-established favourites,”
Andrew Brown of Post Office Travel Money.
