 Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Diane And I think we will come out the other side if our governments are clever.
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We’re doomed!
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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?
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Here’s the intro spiel from Welove2ski:
You can listen to the views of people who work in the ski industry on the podcast you’ll find on Spotify, Apple iTunes and all the usual podcast platforms.
Over a five-year period, we’re talking about a 60%, maybe even a 70% drop in the number of available ski holidays. That’s an extraordinary figure. But this is the run-up to what promises to be the most unusual winter season since the last years of the 19th century when Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, creator of Sherlock Holmes, first revealed to us all that the best sensation in the world – at least when you’re standing up – is to be found on a pair of skis. To be fair to the Baron of Baker Street, snowboards had yet to be invented.
So this winter, will we be wearing face masks and skiing two metres apart?
I think we’ll be wearing masks in the socially-distanced lift queue and actually on the lifts themselves. But two metres apart? Hopefully we always are at least two metres apart. The exception, of course, is often on some rammed Alpine home slope in mid-February during the European school holidays, when everyone anyway tends to get far too close for safety or comfort.
There’s also another little problem. If you do run into a friend or even an acquaintance on or off the slopes, the previously obligatory air kisses – two on the cheek in France, Austria or Italy and three in Switzerland – are now out of the question and awkward. ‘Hi there,’ seems to be the bland post-Covid substitute. You could try an elbow bump, of course, but frankly, it doesn’t convey the same message, whatever that message is, and there’s always a risk that you’ll knock them over.
And what about apres-ski? Things like table dancing, Red Bull and vodka…Moet et Chandon?
Muted rather Moet I think is the word. Think siesta and swimming, think culture rather than Kronenburg. As for the chalet tour operators who have so far made it through the chariot race of Covid, a number of their rivals have already been crushed beneath the financial wheels. Frankly, it’s survival of the fittest. It’s tough out there.
I think there’s definitely going to be a ski season. There are too many jobs in the Alps – that are not just in the Alps but everywhere – that are entirely dependent upon skiing. So it will happen in one form or another. It’s not necessarily going to be the kind of ski season that we would normally expect. There are going to be some fairly strange things, like people skiing in masks and very muted nightlife, I expect. But there will be skiing.
Read a fuller version of this post at Action Packed Travel.
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| BobinCH wrote: |
| ... Read a fuller version of this post at Action Packed Travel. |
I think that extract is quite enough.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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| philwig wrote: |
| BobinCH wrote: |
| ... Read a fuller version of this post at Action Packed Travel. |
I think that extract is quite enough. |
LOL
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Here's what I picked up
Obligatory air kisses are now awkward
Brits are pretty resilient having had to deal with sterling collapse, brexit and covid
France is a market leader and sets the tone for others
Budget airlines have 'arch-fluid' prices, you know, algorithms
Eventually you will feel naked without a face mask
Top end TO's don't organize anything, they use trusted partners
Dogs will become more of an issue, though not on trains, or on skis
Most importantly will people be able to get their bacon for breakfast?
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Oh and a slice of no deal B on top?
Pretty depressing outlook imv, unless you live there of course and aren’t dependent on incoming tourist revenues, quiet slopes beckon.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Regarding France.
There is a cabinet meeting to discuss Covid today. R0 in the Bouches-du-Rhône is now estimated at 3 (although the numbers don't look huge, yet). Anyway we've been told (from govt. sources) that masks will probably be the norm indoors including at work until the summer of 2022 and that there will be restrictions, some draconian, this winter. If you are running a ski business don't expect a return to normal for the next two winter seasons.
I don't think this means you won't get a winter holiday but things are far from normal at the moment.
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I’m not expecting to work/drive in the french alps This winter though it would be nice, maybe a peak season short one might be viable But I just don’t see a big weight of English speaker skiers getting to France this winter.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@Daleskier, It's so sad for the transfer drivers & companies, even the chalet companies can try to diversify into non-uk business, but airport transfers rely almost exclusively on brits. I hope you're able to find other work in resort 
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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.
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Its not all doom and gloom. Our Wagrain apartment was booked out from July through to mid September and our Flachau apartment had 30% uptake in the same window. All Europe based clients and delighted to have them. Can't see the Ski Season being any different. My glass is half full 
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You know it makes sense.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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@Wi11iam, Most of our guests live in mainland Europe and have driven down to the resorts in the Summer. Pretty much the same in Winter less the Brits, Irish, Scandis and Russians who make up the bulk of Winter Charters and Budget flights. Scandis and Russians tend to come with big travel companies which lay on coach transport to and from resorts, hence they don't really do Airport Transfers like @Daleskier, mentions.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Many thanks - that’s something learnt today.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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In Cham last season we had many different nationalities in our transfer vans - yes lots of Brits, as it was a British run company, but loads of Scandis, Americans, Australians, Canadians, other Europeans, and loads from Asia and the Far East.
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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?
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@Wi11iam, to build on @RedandWhiteFlachau's point, where we both are situated the airport transfers used by independent travellers are usually shared minibuses dropping off at only one or two places (sometimes its a proper coach at busy times). They are run by the local taxi companies and the drivers are almost always Balkan. A few hotels run their own minibuses.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| Quote: |
All Europe based clients and delighted to have them.
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Do you get many clients from outside Europe normally? Chatting to people in Les Arcs on lifts over the years I have only come across one Canadian and one New Zeelander. Oh and a North American woman who only ever visited in the Summer. I have seen some Japanese or Chinese around but have no idea whether or not the are European based or have really flown halfway around the world to ski in Les Arcs.
Last edited by You need to Login to know who's really who. on Wed 2-09-20 11:57; edited 1 time in total
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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| RobinS wrote: |
| In Cham last season we had many different nationalities in our transfer vans - yes lots of Brits, as it was a British run company, but loads of Scandis, Americans, Australians, Canadians, other Europeans, and loads from Asia and the Far East. |
Just out of interest, which nationality tended to be the best tippers?
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Americans pretty much always tipped, but could be a demanding pain. Canadians tipped and were usually fine, others were all pretty much the same, some tipped, some didn't, apart from Scandis who never tipped, and usually had massive ski bags etc that are a real pain to try to fit in. It was noticeable that Christmas/New Year and February we got good tips, but the cheaper off peak times, January, and March we got a lot less.
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FAQ
