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Russians in the Alps: big decline predicted

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Reuters report ...

http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/11/07/us-ukraine-crisis-russia-alps-idUSKBN0IR10420141107?feedType=RSS&feedName=lifestyleMolt

Quote:
Moscow's standoff with the West over Ukraine and a weakening economy that has seen the rouble drop by more than a fifth against the euro and Swiss franc this year, has made many Russians think twice about traveling to Austria or Switzerland.
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
http://snowheads.com/ski-forum/viewtopic.php?t=113248&start=50
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 Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
or even: http://pistehors.com/the-russians-arent-coming-23543090.htm - from 6/oct

Scoooooped!


Last edited by Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see? on Sat 8-11-14 8:37; edited 1 time in total
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My Russians are still coming although they have changed their dates because of flight difficulties.
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Hells Bells wrote:
My Russians are still coming although they have changed their dates because of flight difficulties.


Bombing Ukraine on that day ?? rolling eyes
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Does that mean prices in the 3V's will be coming down?
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Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
@musher, I doubt it; they were high long before the Russians appeared.
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
@pam w,
It's 20 years since I was last there and they were too f*****g expensive then.
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@albob, not sure why the rolling eyes,the actions of Putin are nothing to do with my guests
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Hells Bells wrote:
@albob, not sure why the rolling eyes,the actions of Putin are nothing to do with my guests

They are likely to be upset with putin themselves, as there are people who can think even with N Korea style of propoganda...
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i expect this year in 3vs to still see plenty of Russians, but a return to a few years ago when the Russians you saw were the "rich". There was starting to be more wider group coming from Russia - well based on what they were wearing and what skis they had, and that might drop off this year
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 And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
chrisb wrote:
i expect this year in 3vs to still see plenty of Russians, but a return to a few years ago when the Russians you saw were the "rich". There was starting to be more wider group coming from Russia - well based on what they were wearing and what skis they had, and that might drop off this year


Careful, I made that observation last year and got accused of stereotyping.

Not my fault if they had leather jackets and hookers.

Arrow
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So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
Over the years they come and go.
British
Americans
Japanese
Russians
Who next Chinese?
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
@jbob, Chinese tourists are already having a significant presence here in UAE. Many hotels are desperately seeking someone as Guest Relations who can parla the lingo - would Mandarin be sufficient or is Cantonese more widely used?
Last time I went to Cyprus, the Russians dominated the package holiday business. Shan't be sorry to see them go - they don't seem to be able to say please or thank you - even in Russian. Although the Cypriots do need all the trade they can get.
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Good news. Way too many Ruskis in the Dollies nowadays
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
They don't bother me. Without them, I'd get bored in the Spar queue not being able to gaze at all the £500+ bottles of booze whilst waiting to be served. I can think of nationalities that have fewer manners
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
I don't believe in stereotypes but some say they are the rudest people on earth
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 Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
I think it's a cultural thing. They're alright. Greeks can come across as being awful, but they're just not brought up to say please and thank you. I don't believe in sterotypes either, but have come across Dutch behaviour that makes the Ruskies look like angels, French that have assumed I don't understand when I've been referred to as a Rosbif (red faced after realising that I most certainly did), Brits being rowdy and the list could go on....
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Imagine the two new hotels in VT that had big banners in Russian last season before their opening might be changing them for another language.
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
I wouldn't mess with a Russian bloke though (or his cronies). They do have a slightly murderous look about them Shocked
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Waffle wrote:
I wouldn't mess with a Russian bloke though (or his cronies). They do have a slightly murderous look about them Shocked


It's alright waffle. They don't read this forum, Putin's blocked it.
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Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Laughing Laughing
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
If the trend sets in my daughter might not bother finishing her Russian GCSE. No point for that chalet work when she leaves school Toofy Grin
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I take Russians over Brits/Dutch any day, at least when it comes to ski resorts. I'm sure you don't agree, but worse thing anyone can get in ski resort are actually you guys, with few Dutch "skiers" added so place gets really perfect... Russians on the other side, are quite ok. Wink
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Quote:

they don't seem to be able to say please or thank you - even in Russian

Ps and Qs are not used nearly as often in some languages as they are in English. Italian, for example. It's not necessarily rude. Maybe it's just another bit of British arrogance to assume that our way is the only polite way?

My son has cooked for some (extremely rich) Russians in Courchevel. He finds the older generation interesting. They have been through some hard times and seen a lot and are often able to speak enough English to be fascinating interlocutors. One such was the sister of a journalist who had been killed on Kremlin orders. However, he did say the kids who had "had it all" from the beginning were sometimes horribly spoilt and the internet gambling millionaires boorish. wink
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 snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
Always found the Rusians to be very friendly in the Dolomites. Always offering Vodka in the Gondolas and being pretty generous.
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 And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
I find their girlfriends look jolly joly charming.

Do the French authorities not have rules about unqualified hosting though?
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 So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
@yuppie, perhaps they go to the Dolomites to ski? Unfortunately they go to the 3Valleys in France to be 'seen'. I deal with them all year round, in the equally bling Saint-Tropez in the summers. They're not all awful, but enough are that sadly when you get a nice one he stands out.

Still, consensus is that the Israelis are worse.
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
I'm guessing if there's a drop in Reds going to France, the french will then struggle with a few empty rooms..wonder if the number of UK lot not going because of the ESF's shinanigans will make some difference as well
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
ESF shenanigans will have an infinitesimal effect on the UK market. Financial situation induced fluctuation on the tour op market will easily outweigh any detectable effect.
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Poster: A snowHead
yorkshirelad wrote:
I'm guessing if there's a drop in Reds going to France, the french will then struggle with a few empty rooms..wonder if the number of UK lot not going because of the ESF's shinanigans will make some difference as well


My view is that only people who care about ESFs 'shenanigans' are a handful of people on here. As you can see from the multiple threads on here about the issues with some very clued up contributors from all sides of the arguement, the situation is a lot more murky than the black and white canvas that the Daily Fail and UKIP would paint. To most people who book a ski holiday for 1 week a year I imagine it would be the lowest item on their selection criteria.


Certainly, we have had more advanced booking for our apartment in France than in the last 4 years and are pretty much as full as we would want to be now.

The lack of Russians, if there will be one, is likely to hit a lot of the newer top end chalets and hotels that were built and specifically marketed to the Russian market.

Talking to people over the summer I think that an additional 5000 beds of so have been built in Val Thorens in the last 2 years. That includes the new huge Club Med complex, 4 (I think) top end hotels and big extensions at the UCPA complex.
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Shed loads of Russians* certainly do go to Austria and the Dolomites too.

See loads on the Inntal Autobahn, and most CGAS about driving laws or speed limits. They can beat the Belgians any day at autobahn tailgating.

(* which includes Ukranians, Belarussians, Slovakians, probably Polish too, and probably most other countries whose language "sounds" eastern european)
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 Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
plenty of rooms then, Madeye-Smiley ... as most on here don't see the booking numbers etc. it's easy to 'imagine' our own scenerios of how many people 'should' not go to france ...for what ever reason.
I must confess that i intially said i'm not going to france for a while in protest at what's been going on ...but then a package deal has come up flyin out of manchester on the 7th december thats is really tempting.. Very Happy otherwise i'd have to take a day driving to gatwick... sooo protest over ?? Smile
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albinomountainbadger wrote:
Unfortunately they go to the 3Valleys in France to be 'seen'.


The more people who go to ski resorts to be seen rather than to ski, the better IMV
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Junior had a Ruskie in his ski school class a while back. I can't remember if that was Austria or Italy, but he was a nice enough lad (just a bit boisterous).
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Shocking lot, the Russians. wink
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Indeed, Pedantica, wink
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After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
Quote:

Shocking lot, the Russians.


I disagree. The vast majority of Russians I meet and work with in Moscow are great. Immaculate manners. Polite, cultured, educated, charming etc. I'm not sure if the Alps just seems to attract the wrong crowd but inherently I think they are usually preferable to the Brits who can be absolutely ghastly.
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We had that Russian - Rachmaninoff - in the Royal Festival Hall on Friday night. Piano concerto 4 (i.e. not the one that overlays 'Brief Encounter'). Bloody fantastic piece of music ... hugely romantic like the No.2, but with witty little jazzy touches. My god I loved it, and luckily wasn't working on the doors so could fully enjoy it in a seat.

More Rachmaninoff to come ...

http://www.lpo.org.uk/events/rachmaninoff-inside-out.html
http://www.southbankcentre.co.uk/whatson/festivals-series/london-philharmonic-orchestra-rachmaninoff-inside-out

Here's a Rach No. 4, prepared earlier (BBC Young Symphony Orchestra doing a wonderful job):
http://youtube.com/v/7VpZb8gNzYU

......... now, returning you to 'Russians in the Hall' ... err ... 'Russians in the Alps'
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@emwmarine,
Quote:

My view is that only people who care about ESFs 'shenanigans' are a handful of people on here. As you can see from the multiple threads on here about the issues with some very clued up contributors from all sides of the arguement, the situation is a lot more murky than the black and white canvas that the Daily Fail and UKIP would paint. To most people who book a ski holiday for 1 week a year I imagine it would be the lowest item on their selection criteria.

Completely agree. I imagine that 99% of UK punters wouldn't have a clue about this and the rest wouldn't care. If you don't like ESF then use one of the independents. ESF are trying to block UK qualified ski instructors? Most people wouldn't have a clue there was such a thing as UK qualified instructor. Ski hosting? Not really an issue for the vast majority.
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