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,...

Latest entries

Marketing / Resorts

Why La Clusaz has produced the best ski resort video this year…

by iain on Sep 14, 2018 • No Comments

Aspirational powder skiing shot? Tick! Kids playing in the snow? Tick! Nightclub shot? Tick! Couple relaxing in sauna/hot tub? Tick! Assorted ski resort clichés? Tick! La Clusaz stands out above the crowd Why is it that so many ski resort videos follow the same time-honoured pattern? I mean, it all looks great on screen, it’s...

Iain / Resorts

Iain Martin wins award for ‘Best Online Article’ from France Montagnes

by iain on Sep 12, 2018 • 1 Comment

Yesterday saw 17 French ski resorts and regions gather in London for the annual France Montagnes UK press launch. Resorts including La Clusaz, Les 2 Alpes, Les Menuires and Tignes were joined by regional organisations Savoie Mont Blanc and the French Pyrenees as they briefed the UK press on all their new developments for the...

Resorts

Folie Douce to open new hotel in Serre Chevalier

by iain on Sep 3, 2018 • No Comments

It seems hotels from La Folie Douce are like buses; none for ages and then two come along at once. It was only earlier this summer that we reported La Folie Douce was diversifying into hotels with the news that they were to open their first property in Chamonix this December. Less than two months...

Ideas / Tour Operators

Seasonal Businesses in Travel warn of dangers of ‘Hard Brexit’

by iain on Aug 8, 2018 • No Comments

The organisation Seasonal Businesses in Travel, or SBIT, have been working hard to make sure their message gets out about the risk to British companies and jobs from Brexit. Their latest release, in August 2018, warns of a ‘looming crisis’ and the possible impact of a ‘No-deal’ or ‘Hard Brexit’ when Britain leaves the EU....

Iain / podcast

What have you missed recently on ‘The Ski Podcast’?

by iain on Jul 24, 2018 • No Comments

No doubt you already subscribe so you never miss an episode of The Ski Podcast (www.theskipodcast.com) but just in case, here are some highlights from the last few pods… Just click on the links to catch up: Interview with the La Rosiere Tourist Office about the new lifts and pistes that are opening this December...

Resorts

29 Fascinating Ski Stats from around the World

by iain on Jul 19, 2018 • No Comments

We’ve taken a trawl through the excellent International Report on Snow & Mountain Tourism by industry expert Laurent Vanat to find some of the most fascinating ski stats about the snowsports industry. The report is available to download (in English and Chinese) for free here. All graphs were created by M Vanat and are contained within...

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