Experts weigh in on the planned protocol for chalets, chair lifts, lessons and aprs ski next season
The coronavirus pandemic has thrown the worlds future travel plans into turmoil. The uncertainty about how, when and where we will be able to go on holiday again remains profound, with debates about air bridges, travel bubbles and quarantine periods making headlines daily but still no clear light at the end of the Channel Tunnel.
While the future of summer holidays still hangs in the balance, those who offer ski holidays and operate in the winter months have a bit more time to plan for life in the future Covid-19 world.
Despite many still recovering from the impact of the premature end of last season and customers still concerned about whether it's safe to book a ski holiday for next winter, there are plans afoot as to how our annual pilgrimage to the slopes might look in the 2020/21.
Heres what the experts and those in the industry think the ski holidays of the future could look like.
Wondering if you should book a ski holiday now? Read our full guide here.
If one things for certain its that some level of social distancing measures will be in place in resorts across the globe. Recently the Norwegian resort of Myrkdalen opened for a fleeting end to the winter season and resorts in New Zealand have been given permission to open as snow begins to fall in the southern hemisphere, while some resorts in the Alps look set to offer skiing on glaciers this summer. All have adopted a new set of restrictions that could provide a blueprint for those planning for next season.
Measures implemented include social distancing in lift queues and limits on the number of people in gondolas or riding on chairlifts permitting only people from the same household to use a lift together.
Hygiene standards and cleaning protocols on lifts have also been ramped up and visitors are asked to wear face coverings and gloves luckily this is often the case in ski resorts already.
Looking ahead, it is likely that resorts will recommend lift passes and equipment hire are booked in advance to reduce queues at offices and pressures on staff. And as governments reveal guidance for reopening the hospitality and leisure sectors, many resorts are working on introducing technology to make contactless and cashless payments available throughout both villages and on the mountain including lift stations, restaurants, bars and hotels.
When it comes to public transport, as was the case at the end of last season when the pandemic first approached Europe, the blueprint for resorts moving forward is likely to include restricted capacity on ski buses and changes to timetables. The Italian resort of Courmayeur has revealed it will also be encouraging guests to pre-book private airport transfers, to reduce the number of people on large coach transfers and public transport.
The Austrian resort of Ischgl, which has been identified as a key epicentre for the virus in Europe, was the first in the world to say it will be reconsidering its approach to party tourism. We will question developments of the past years and, where necessary, make corrections, said Werner Kurz, the resorts mayor. That means more quality and less party tourism, prioritising skiers and fewer day-trippers on buses who only come to party.
Hopefully by next winter all restaurants and bars will be back open, some in Alps have already been granted permission to lift the shutters. But its likely there will be some restrictions in place two metres spaces between tables, requirements to pre-book and more options to take food away. Large and wild aprs parties will have to be reconsidered and the focus may shift to a more sophisticated off-the-slope offering in resorts instead.
How food will be served in resorts appears to be one key area of discussion, with many operators and experts believing self-catering could see a boom.
The benefits are obvious no shared dining or living space, no external staff preparing meals, control over your own hygiene standards and the possibility of spending an entire weeks ski holiday solely in the company of your own family.
Our focus is already on the types of holidays that enable clients to limit their contact with others. For example we always recommend self-drive with Eurotunnel, so effectively clients can get from their home to their accommodation in the Alps without the need to be in contact with anyone. Our self-catered apartments also allow clients their own space, so again they can limit contact with others, said Xavier Schouller, managing director from French self-catered specialists Peak Retreats and Ski Collection.
However the traditional chalet holiday will likely remain a popular choice for British skiers and snowboarders.
Bramble Ski, which operates both catered and self-catered chalets in some of Europes top resorts, suggests more guests will request contactless service in chalets, rather than having a traditional host present at meal times. Certainly there will be a period where people will feel more comfortable with less services and we will accommodate that, said Natash Robertson, co-founder of Bramble Ski.
We are currently proposing contactless service to our customers if they would prefer this. We have done this before for guests who have booked fully staffed accommodation at the top end of our portfolio. Tables are laid up, food served and cleared, rooms cleaned and turned down without the guests ever seeing a member of staff. Lower down the scale, meals can be prepared and left in the property for the guests to serve themselves. Cleaning teams can also be sent in only when the guests are not in the chalet, she said.
Other services that could be available on a contactless basis include in-chalet ski and boot delivery service and lift pass delivery service taking the need to walk around a resort on arrival and queue with other holidaymakers out of the equation.
As the interest in catering for ourselves increases so might the popularity of self-drive trips as people remain nervous about flying.
Thousands of Britons drive to the Alps each year, with families in particular appreciating the flexibility it provides. Popular French resorts such as Flaine, Morzine and La Clusaz, are just eight hours from the Calais end of the Eurotunnel, during which time a group would be able to avoid contact with other travellers. Self-drive removes much of the stress of packing too, particularly if youve booked self-catering accommodation. Guests can stock up on food and supplies in the large valley towns before heading up into resorts, where supermarkets tend to be smaller and more expensive; whats more you can even take a freezer box stocked full from home.
"The majority of our clients are keen to self drive, we hope this will be an even more popular option for skiers next winter, as they may be less keen to fly," said Jane Bolton, managing director of Erna Low.
While DIY ski trips will be the preferred choice for some, others will continue to favour the service and amenities staying in hotels on the slopes can offer.
Luckily, compared to ski chalets, most of which operate solely in the winter months, many of the hotels in the Alps and beyond are hoping to be able to reopen this summer, albeit primarily for domestic travellers. This will give them a trial run at adopting new rules and restrictions before the peak winter season hits.
The Naturhotel Forsthofgut in the Austrian resort of Leogang is one such hotel it has shared some of the measures guests can expect. On arrival, guests will be greeted by staff wearing smiling Forsthofgut branded masks or visors. For guests, on request, a Forsthofgut safety kit - face masks, antibacterial gloves and hand-sanitiser spray will be available. Staff members have undergone a rigorous hygiene training programme, and regular refresher courses will be carried out.
Some hotels are looking to increase the amount of room service they offer, while the breakfast buffet is likely a thing of the past and hotel restaurants are set to be redesigned to allow tables to be at a safe distance from each other. Hotel managements are also preparing systems to make the reservation and check-in process totally contactless.
Hotels and chalets at the luxury-end of the spectrum, where guests are used to the likes of a ski concierge service and dining in private, will inevitably up their game further with the rest of the market looking on for inspiration.
Next winter guests at Ultima Collections uber-glamorous chalets in Courchevel, Crans-Montana andMegve will have their equipment disinfected daily, including skis, boots, hats and gloves.
Secluded properties with a small number of rooms that a small group of friends and relatives can book for exclusive use will be very successful. Requests for bespoke services, and private jet or helicopter trips are already increasing, said Max-Herv George and Byron Baciocchi, founders of Ultima Collection.
Certainly those with the budget for it will inevitably look towards private jet transfers, heliskiing and off-piste guided days in an effort to avoid busy lifts and slopes. Companies such as Pelorus, which offers bespoke adventures and exclusive ski trips starting from 9,500, are poised ready to cater for them. There will be more demand for quieter ski regions and remote locations. Well be sending out clients to remote lodges that can offer a chance for people to ski in lesser known resorts or access off-piste for more advanced skiers, said Geordie Mackay-Lewis, co-founder of Pelorus.
Off-the-beaten track doesnt always come with a hefty price tag though, in fact many lesser-known resorts around Europe can offer great-value ski holidays away from the major hubs, which might struggle to contain capacity and implement social distancing. Ski resorts in the likes of Norway, Eastern Europe, North America, the Pyrenees and less frequented parts of the Alps are likely to see a spike in interest.
Ski and snowboard lessons form a crucial part of many peoples ski holidays, especially beginners. Often carried out in groups and in designated parts of the mountain there are plans afoot to ensure ski schools can adhere to new regulations and social distancing.
The Ecole du Ski France is the countrys largest ski school, with thousands of British students each winter. All ESF resorts will see social distancing implemented by reducing the need for customers to visit and congregate in offices but to meet in open spaces on the slopes. Plans being drawn up during this summer will also see measures put in place at meeting points to ease crowding. Group and Private lessons will be conducted with more space in between participants if required, said Mark Neville, business manager for the ESF in the UK.
More advanced skiers and snowboarders, who attended courses and workshops in the mountains or use guiding services for off-piste days, will also see changes.
We released our dates about two weeks ago and since then our early bookings and general enquiries have been up on previous years. It seems to us that people, especially the ones that missed out on March and April holidays this year, are desperate to get back on skis, said Warren Smith, founder of the Warren Smith Ski Academy, which runs courses across the globe for advanced and intermediate skiers.
Going forward we will still run eight-person groups, but our six-person group size will become the new normal. I predict though within a year this will shrink even further to four people per group, said Warren.
The smaller groups always have the flexibility to go further afield and go off piste. In a four person group going off-piste is so much safer and controlled compared to an eight person group. Smaller groups get more specific tuition and while yes the prices will go up the value will be reflected.
Warren predicts further still there will be increased demand for private lessons, with people prepared to spend a bit more for the luxury of knowing they are isolated from others.
Tour operators and their staff in chalets, hotels and resorts will play a vital role in the continued battle against the virus.
We are really hopeful the same number of jobs will be available and well recruit the levels we need to ensure we deliver the exceptional customer service were known for. The season isnt scheduled to start until November, so although well be later than usual recruiting our teams, we have time, said a spokesperson from Crystal Ski Holidays, the UKs biggest winter tour operator.
While the recruitment process, which usually begins in June, has been put on hold this year there will be increased training, focusing on hygiene and social distancing, for those hoping to work in the mountains next season. We will need to follow government advice regarding social distancing and requirements for workplace safety for all our employees. So we await these over the next few weeks before we finalise the roles and job descriptions, said Rob Dixon from Ski World.
We will continue to work with our resort, accommodation and travel partners to plan a ski holiday experience that meets all current safety measures, read a statement from HotelPlan, which operates Inghams, Ski Total and Esprit Ski.
There will be greater focus on more client-friendly booking terms and conditions, to give clients the confidence to book. Refundable deposits, refunds or deferrals available where previously not offered after payment of the final balance should resorts have to close said Rupert Longsdon, CEO of The Oxford Ski Company.
Its a sentiment shared across the industry, where operators are keen to reinstate customer confidence in travel by easing the likes of final payment deadlines and booking alteration fees.
The last few months of uncertainty has shown us that our customers want the reassurance that their money is safe and need to trust us to do the right thing. Inghams has over 85 years experience getting skiers to the slopes and when the time comes to get back to the mountains, our expert team will be there every step of the way, said HotelPlan.
Other service providers are following suit and offering greater flexibility. When the virus hit the Alps, forcing all businesses to close, many independent companies adapted quickly and reassured customers by processing refunds on the likes of equipment hire, lift passes and lessons and allowed credit to be transferred free of charge to next winter.
While travellers will be looking for peace of mind with the implementation of new rules and services by resorts and operators many will find comfort in the familiar. Our core package structure of flight, accommodation, transfer and ski packs will remain, read a reassuring statement from Crystal Ski Holidays.
We continue to follow the advice of the Government and will align to any new health and safety guidelines and measures which may be introduced. The safety and wellbeing of our customers and staff remains our highest priority, it continued.
Whether the novelty of new social distancing measures, isolated days on the slopes, contactless services and do-it-yourself packages will wear thin remains to be seen but one thing is for certain and thats the ski holidays of the future will need to adapt to the new normal.
Read the original here:
The anatomy of a Covid-19 ski holiday how will resorts make it safe? - Telegraph.co.uk