Consumer Research 2020

The Ski Club of Great Britain conducted the 8th SCGB Consumer Research Survey; with over 19,000 responses recorded.

This exhaustive Consumer Research study allows us to understand and track trends in UK Snowsports, providing the largest piece of snowsports research in the UK. Most importantly, it has allowed us to understand consumers thoughts and intentions for the coming winter.  

The headline finding was that 96% of the respondents said they would go skiing next season, with 3% of the remaining 4% saying they would book the following year instead. This is fantastic news that there is still a big appetite from consumers to enjoy a winter holiday next year.  

Another highlight is that 70% of respondents said they went skiing last season. This suggests that 25% of responders who are willing to book next year are returning to the slopes for the first time in over a year.  

Of the 70% skiing last season, 24% of the travellers had their holidays affected by the Coronavirus. That means a good percentage of those affected by Coronavirus are still willing to ski next year. In fact, Ski Club Freshtracks had to repatriate a group from Canazei, Italy by travel to Austria last season to get back to the UK. 90% of that group have rebooked onto the same holiday next year.   

The booking process findings are also intriguing. 43% of respondents said they book 6 months or more before travelling to their destination. 36% booked at peak times, with 16% booking in February half term in particular. 40% said they book their ski holidays independently rather than through a tour operator.  

France was the most popular ski destination with 40% of respondents saying they visited French ski resorts last season. Austria was the next popular destination at 19%, Italy 11%,5% Switzerland and 4% visited Canada. France is certainly still the big heart of the European ski industry.  

Lastly, 69% of responders said they weren’t affected financially by the Coronavirus. Pointing towards the fact that a lot of people will still be able to afford a ski trip next season.  

On top of this encouraging news and research, Ski Club have launched Freshtracks and Mountain Tracks holidays for the 2020/21 season, with a promise to refund in full if a holiday is cancelled by Ski Club due to Covid-19. Giving people the confidence to book next year! Take a look at our Coronavirus FAQ.

We will be revealing brand, resort and tour operator winners before the start of the season on our website. Unfortunately due to Covid, we will not be hosting the annual Industry Awards but we will have the usual category winners announced soon.