Tour operators and travel agencies are reporting ski holiday over New Year are largely sold out with one claiming its sales for that week are the highest ever, another that’s numbers are the best since before the pandemic.
Leading ski chalet holiday package company Ski Beat reports that this year almost 90% of its New Year holidays, departing from Gatwick or Manchester on 27th December, have been booked, many by groups of friends and family. It’s their highest level of sales at this point in the year, with New Year still more than two months away.
The company’s Laura Hazell says “New Year is an amazing time to be in the mountains, and so much better in the company of loved ones. While there has been huge demand this year for New Year ski holidays, we still have availability for up to ten guests in Chalet Ibex in snow-sure Val Thorens, an apartment style chalet in the highest residence in the Alps, with free use of an indoor heated swimming pool, sauna, hammam and jacuzzi.”
Other ski holiday companies are reporting similar trends.
“New Year is incredibly popular this year so people do need to be quick now if they still want to go to the big-name resorts. We do have a handful of apartments left in higher resorts including Les Arcs, La Plagne, Flaine and La Rosière,” says Nicola Moss of Peak Retreats, who adds, “Otherwise our advice is to consider the “hidden gems.” There is fabulous skiing to be had elsewhere. We’ve got availability in resorts such as Samoëns which links into the huge Grand Massif ski area around Flaine, Le Grand Bornand (pictured below) which is such a beautiful resort and has real character, and Les Houches which is a stone’s throw from the more well-known Chamonix. There is such a lovely festive atmosphere to be had in these resorts at New Year and great skiing, they shouldn’t be overlooked!”
Richard Sinclair of Sno.co.uk also notes bumper New Year bookings.
“This is the highest occupancy rates we’ve seen since before covid. Sales are excellent across the board but our all-inclusive ski holidays are proving the most popular packages for New Year,” says, Richard, who adds, “Anecdotally, clients are telling us they want certainty of their costs with ski inclusive, because combining the expensive New Year week with going freestyle in-resort in terms of eating and drinking, can make costs spiral. Clients want a fixed budget – the whole holiday paid before they even set off.”
For those who can’t find and/or afford any of the remaining New Year ski holidays, ski companies are recommending either Christmas week, which has more availability and lower ;prices, or the pre-Christmas week which is even cheaper – in some cases about half that of new year for essentially the same holiday with less crowded slopes.
“We have very limited new year all-inclusive ski holidays available, but more options the week before over Christmas week. The fastest bookings now is the week before Christmas, with much cheaper all-inclusive prices and you still get home in time for Christmas and New Year with friends and family,” confirmed Richard Sinclair.