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The sad demise of the catered chalet ski holiday

by iain on Sep 25, 2023 • 8 Comments

Looking through a recent survey from Le Ski, I was struck by one stat in particular. While it was encouraging to read that the number of UK skiers and snowboarders is predicted to grow by 14% in winter 2023/24, the fact that only 13% stay in catered chalets highlighted how...

Ideas

Will ChatGPT make ‘ski experts’ redundant?

by iain on May 11, 2023 • No Comments

AI (Artificial Intelligence) is changing fast. A few years ago, it was just the name of one of Steven Spielberg’s less good movies, but in 2023 AI has moved from the world of ‘futurologists’ into the mainstream. The chances are that even if you haven’t tried ChatGPT (or Google’s ‘Bard’),...

Iain / Ideas / Tour Operators

‘Parrots in the Snow: the rise and fall of Bladon Lines’ – article in ‘Ski+Board’ magazine

by iain on Mar 8, 2023 • 3 Comments

Iain’s article ‘Parrots in the Snow: the rise and fall of Bladon Lines‘ has now been published in ‘Ski+Board’ magazine. It’s also now available as a special episode of The Ski Podcast My first experience of working in the ski industry came 35 years ago when I went to Chatel...

Iain / Resorts

Ski Touring in Morocco: A Photo Essay

by iain on Feb 8, 2019 • No Comments

Iain from Skipedia recently went ski touring in Morocco. Flying into Marrakech, and then travelling to Imlil (1740m), Iain then spent three nights at the Refuge des Mouflons (3207m), ski touring to different 4000m peaks. Ski hire was from Braemar Mountain Sports, guiding and logistics were organised by Toubkal Guide. You...

Resorts / Tour Operators

‘I’m a modern-day Batman’ says anti-ESF campaigner

by iain on Nov 2, 2014 • No Comments

These are difficult days for the ESF in the UK. The current legal cases against Simon Butler and Le Ski have stirred up plenty of negative sentiment within the British market against the ESF. Both cases – which deal with different aspects of the law – are currently at different...

Tour Operators

Why do chalet girls bake a cake every day?

by iain on Aug 13, 2011 • 2 Comments

Okay, not strictly anything to do with marketing, but just for fun… So why do chalet girls bake a cake every day? As far as I know chalets have always left out a cake for their guests to tuck into for ‘afternoon tea’. After a long day on the slopes,...

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Iain / Resorts

Arosa article in Skier & Snowboarder Magazine

by iain on Mar 1, 2021 • No Comments

A year ago – in the good old days before ‘Lockdown 1.0’, Iain stayed at the Hotel Valsana in Arosa, Switzerland. Is this the most sustainable hotel in Switzerland? That’s the question I ask in this article, recently published in Skier & Snowboarder Magazine

Ideas

I hate ‘I Hate Mountains’ irony…

by iain on Feb 19, 2021 • No Comments

The last few weeks I’ve been chased around the internet by some dogged display advertising…and I hate it. I don’t recall visiting their website [I’m not going to link to or mention the brand], so I guess I’ve been targeted by one of Google’s ‘Similar Audiences’. “It’s ironic, innit!” To the extent that I am...

Ideas / Resorts

When is a ski lift not a ski lift?

by iain on Feb 17, 2021 • No Comments

As all British skiers are well aware, the ski lifts in France (and across most of Europe) are not turning at present. Safety measures in place French ski resorts have presented a well-prepared case that ski lifts can be managed safely using new Covid protocols. However, despite the evidence from Switzerland that opening lifts does...

Marketing / Resorts

One Month in La Clusaz for One Euro

by iain on Feb 8, 2021 • No Comments

We’ve written before on Skipedia about ski resorts targeting the #workation market, but even with a 40% discount the rates offered for a month’s accommodation in Courchevel would still have to fit in your budget. But a month in La Clusaz for just a single Euro seems to good to be true. Partnership with Airbnb...

Ideas

Study shows ski resort cable car rides safer than going to work

by iain on Feb 8, 2021 • No Comments

“We’re following the science” That’s a phrase we’ve heard a lot since the pandemic arrived. And it means that most ski resorts in Europe have their lifts closed at present. Switzerland is an exception to that, but a recent study suggests that this might not be as horrifying as some Twitter users would have you...

Ideas

9 Takeaways from the Ski Club of Great Britain Survey

by iain on Jan 20, 2021 • No Comments

With skiing looking less likely for British skiers this winter, there were some encouraging results from the latest Ski Club of Great Britain survey, gathered during January 2021 from over 5000 respondents. Highlights from the survey include: 49% of consumers still intend to go skiing ‘if possible’ this season (this figure was down by 10% from...

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The sad demise of the catered chalet ski holiday

Will ChatGPT make ‘ski experts’ redundant?

‘Parrots in the Snow: the rise and fall of Bladon Lines’ – article in ‘Ski+Board’ magazine

Ski Touring in Morocco: A Photo Essay

‘I’m a modern-day Batman’ says anti-ESF campaigner

Why do chalet girls bake a cake every day?

Arosa article in Skier & Snowboarder Magazine

I hate ‘I Hate Mountains’ irony…

When is a ski lift not a ski lift?

One Month in La Clusaz for One Euro

Study shows ski resort cable car rides safer than going to work

9 Takeaways from the Ski Club of Great Britain Survey

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