Skipedia

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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Ideas / Marketing / Resorts

Digital Nomads Go Skiing: The Rise of the Workation

by iain on Jan 19, 2021 • No Comments

Back in October 2020, I highlighted the rise of the ‘workation’ in my presentation for LISTEX, organised by the Mountain Travel Network. I noted the increasing number of articles featuring travel destinations courting the digital nomads for whom ‘working from home’ doesn’t tie you to your own house, but makes the world your oyster. Demand...

Ideas / Marketing / Resorts

Génépi Hand Sanitizer: Val Thorens create the perfect Alpine hand gel

by iain on Jan 15, 2021 • No Comments

Most resorts have designed their own face masks, but as far as we know, only Val Thorens has created their own hand sanitizer. Even better, they’re certainly the only resort to launch a hydroalcoholic gel that actually smells of the mountains…made with a unique mix of génépi. Thibaut Loubère, marketing manager for Val Thorens, said:...

Ideas / Resorts

True or False? France Montagnes tackle claims about skiing this winter…

by iain on Jan 11, 2021 • No Comments

On The Ski Podcast, we’ve lost count of the numbers of times we’ve discussed when or whether ski resorts will open this winter. It can be hard to keep up with the various European government announcements. Are resorts open or closed? Will they open at all this season? France Montagnes tackled these questions with a...

podcast / Resorts

Crans Montana article on InTheSnow.com

by iain on Dec 23, 2020 • No Comments

Iain from Skipedia and The Ski Podcast travelled to Crans Montana in Switzerland in December 2020. His article has now been published by InTheSnow Magazine: As founder of Ski Flight Free, Iain travelled by train from the UK via Paris and Lausanne to Sierre, from where he took the funicular to Crans Montana: Iain tried both...

podcast

Exclusive Graham Bell interview for InTheSnow.com

by iain on Dec 21, 2020 • No Comments

Iain from Skipedia recently interviewed Graham Bell for The Ski Podcast about ITV’s reality programme ‘Dancing on Ice’. An edited version of this interview has now been exclusively published on InTheSnow.com You can listen to more of this interview in Episode 64 of The Ski Podcast: You can listen to the full interview in our...

Resorts

#MontagneEnColere: Demonstrations in French Ski Resorts

by iain on Dec 5, 2020 • No Comments

French President Macron may have stated that opening French ski resorts for Christmas would be ‘impossible‘, but ‘les stations’ are not giving up hope yet. This week has seen demonstrations in many French ski resorts as the communities have come together to show solidarity. #MontagneEnColere Apart from the significant impact on the 120,000 jobs that...

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