Just crunching the numbers a bit. We have 58 million skier days but 3% less Brits so that mans around 1.75 million less skier days. If we take the SNTF mean price for a ski pass of 20 euros (remember that Brits are more common in the more expensive resorts and tend to spend more in resort than French skiers) then we are looking at a revenue shortfall of 35 million euros. If you include restaurants, hotels and shops we are probably looking at more like 200 million euros less revenue for French ski areas last season.
Maybe the title of the article should be: Brits blow multimillion euro hole in ski area revenues.
Last year finding self catering appartments was proving much harder as many brits rather than not ski at all, chose to stay in of an evening and save money that way. Many also took lunches onto the piste, in fact with the good weather, I’ve never seen so many lunching on the piste. I noticed a place with a plat du jour at 17 euros reduce this within a week to 12 euros, presumably feeling the lack of people luunching there.
With the Euro looking to be low again this season, better book your accommodation sooner rather than later.
I also read that accomodation is being booked fast for the peak dates by european skiers who are anticipating another good season so it could be a double squeeze for cash strapped Brits.
The Figaro suggests that restaurants are taking advantage of the change in season to put their prices up again following the VAT decrease. It is estimated that in around 50% of establishments prices are back to where they were before the VAT cut with the restauranteurs pocketing the difference. The number of job’s created has been much less than expected too. Who would have thought?
I am afraid less Brits would also impact badly beer consumption… Could it possibly raise the skiing level?…
Just kidding