Worries about inflation and rising energy costs, but winter sport have not been cut back
More than 2000 winter sports enthusiasts, of whom 61% have already booked their winter sports, have completed a survey about inflation, corona and climate. This gives a good picture of how Dutch and Belgian winter sports enthusiasts look at the coming season. Here are the results:
The survey was conducted by wintersport.nl
Are you going on winter sports?
Reluctant last season, confident this season
97% of the respondents indicate that they go on winter sport holiday again, whereas 96% normally go on winter sport every winter. People have gained more confidence in the course of this year, because in June this percentage was 93%.
Last winter, a complicated corona winter, ‘only’ 90% of the respondents went on winter sport. Of the 3% of winter sport enthusiasts who do not expect to go on winter sport, 60% indicate that this is due to the costs of winter sport and high inflation, only 8% indicate that corona measures are the reason not to go. The rest have other (personal) reasons.
Are you worried about inflation for the upcoming winter sports?
Inflation increasingly present, few consequences for winter sports
More than half of those surveyed are concerned about current inflation. That is more than in June, when this percentage was 33%. However, the majority, 40% of all respondents, indicate that it must go very crazy if people do not go on winter sport. Only 4% are afraid that they will not be able to go on winter sport at all, about the same percentage as in June. Currently, about 10% indicate that they are afraid of budget cuts in ski areas.
Many ski areas indicate that they are making adjustments in user comfort because of the energy price. What is acceptable to you?
Fewer slopes and lifts open not just acceptable
Many ski areas indicate that they have to be more economical because of the higher energy prices. It is quite clear what the surveyed winter sport enthusiasts find important. 70% indicate that less opened elevators is not acceptable. About the same amount, 73% say the same about less open pistes and 58% don’t want shorter opening times.
Slower elevators are less of a problem. 45% is neutral about this and 24% is fine with the elevator ride taking a little longer. The seat heating can be turned off. Only 1% indicate that they consider the lack of seat heating to be a problem. Once off the slopes, 45% think it’s perfectly fine if the heating in hotels and accommodations is turned down slightly, 18% think this is not acceptable and the rest is neutral.
In short, you don’t want to compromise on skiing.
On which of the following cost items does inflation affect you?
Consequences of inflation for accommodation choice and restaurant visits
Although the majority of respondents are neutral about the influence of inflation on accommodation choice and restaurant visits, about a quarter indicate that inflation certainly has an effect on restaurant visits. With regard to accommodations, just under 20% indicate that inflation certainly influences their choice.
Do any corona measures affect your booking?
Any corona measures no problem
More than three quarters of those surveyed are not worried about corona. Only 8% indicate that they will not go on winter sport if corona measures apply. The vast majority indicate that corona measures such as mouth caps and QR codes do not pose any problems. 65% therefore indicate that they do not adjust the winter sport holiday for any corona measures. 25% indicate that they will possibly opt for a country with less strict corona measures.
No less than 12% of the respondents indicate that they feel more comfortable with corona measures. In short, people are not blind to corona, but it is no longer a major obstacle to going on winter sports.
Conclusion
The world is not standing still and this is also reflected in the answers to our survey, people are more concerned about inflation than at the beginning of the summer. However, this does not (yet) have any major consequences for winter sport. In fact, more people expect to go skiing than in June. However, the preconditions such as the number of open lifts and slopes are a point of concern.
The winter sport enthusiasts surveyed are not very concerned about corona, only a limited minority finds any corona measures a problem. Finally, a large part of the respondents indicate that they do their part in combating climate change, but in winter sports people are not too influenced by it.