Skiers aiming to ring in the New Year on the slopes face a tight supply bottleneck this season due to an unusual holiday calendar layout, a leading ski specialist travel agency has warned.
With Christmas Day falling on a Friday, the traditional Saturday departure date falls on Boxing Day (December 26th). To avoid travelling the morning after Christmas, potentially with a very early start, travel agency Iglu Ski say that the vast majority of their customers are seeking a Sunday, December 27th departure, allowing them to enjoy the festive period at home while still returning on Sunday, January 3, ahead of schools reopening on Monday, January 4.
This is putting the limited supply for Sunday-to-Sunday itineraries is in high demand. Data from Iglu Ski found there are 60% fewer seven-night packages available for the Sunday departure (Dec 27th – Jan 3rd) compared to the standard Saturday rotation (Dec 26 – Jan 2).
Phil Wright, Head of Commercial and Operations at Iglu Ski, said:
“With Christmas falling on a Friday, pressure is heavily on to secure trips departing on Sunday, December 27th. While we still have thousands of Sunday capacity options available, inventory is significantly lower than for Boxing Day departures. We strongly advise families and groups to lock in their plans now before the Sunday slots sell out.”
Another ski travel agency, SNO, reported they’d also spotted Sunday 27 Dec departures are definitely selling first for New Year, but they spotted an upside of that leaving a slight dip in the more common Saturday departures, where bargains can be had for those willing to travel Boxing Day.
“My family are totally sold on the idea that ‘today its Christmas and then tomorrow we go on holiday!’ so I guess it’s how you decide to frame it. We also have clients deciding to drop a day from the holiday and get Sunday flights to go with a standard Sat-Sat accommodation booking,” said SNO’s Richard Sinclair.
Many tour operators are adapting their offer to take account for the different options,
“This year’s festive calendar isn’t quite as straightforward as last year’s, and we’re seeing booking patterns reflect that. Demand hasn’t disappeared, but some skiers are looking for alternatives to the traditional Saturday departure so they can spend more of the Christmas weekend at home before travelling,” confirmed Nicola Moss of French ski holiday specialists Peak Retreats, who added,
“We offer a select number of Sunday-to-Sunday stays in resorts including Val d’Isère, Flaine and Méribel, which appeal to travellers looking to avoid a Boxing Day departure, although availability is limited. We’ve also introduced Monday-to-Saturday, five-night breaks for guests who want a little more flexibility between Christmas and New Year.”