Top Trends For Skiing Holidays and Ski Resorts

ADVENTURE SKIING 

Going skiing in resort again this year? Yawn. Pardon the lack of enthusiasm but it's because the good old ski resort holiday is beginning to seem a bit tame for today's adventure hungry skier or snowboarder, who's looking to the backcountry for challenges - and more exciting, envy-inducing Instagram posts.

What used to be a fairly exclusive club of adventurers pioneering sail and ski holidays in the Lyngen Alps, heli-skiing in Alaska and summer shredding in Chile, is now opening up to all those looking for skiing experiences beyond the traditional resorts, fuelled by the boom in ski touring. Not needing a lift to get up the mountain can create a whole host of new ski possibilities.

Even once-exotic ski destinations are now too popular for those looking to go off the beaten / groomed track. Take Niseko. Been there, seen it, done the powder. Adventure skiers have moved on from the crowded capital of Japow to the smaller Japanese resorts, gateways to powder beyond the hordes.

More tour operators are recognising this trend branching out of the ski resort package holiday, one of the first being Ski Safari, now on their 30th season with increasingly more off radar options, tailor made trips for adventure seekers such as once-in-a-lifetime activities like fjord cruises, northern lights trips, heli-skiing, and backcountry ski touring.

Newer operators include Nonstop, aiming at adventure skiers and snowboarders with a series of instructor, all-mountain and backcountry camps 'for people who dream of pushing their level'. They take small groups of clients to ride hidden powder stashes 'only locals know how to find'. Good news for their clients, bad news if you're a local. But it's the promise of untouched powder that's attracting the growing pack of powderhounds.

Where to go for the best off-piste, slack, side and backcountry powder skiing experiences in some of the world's best known and off radar ski destinations? Check out ultimate adventures put together by the pioneer of destination skiing, Alf Alderson.

You could, also, book a ski adventure of a lifetime such an iceberg-hopping trip to the Antarctic Peninsula or Iceland Ski & Sail with IceAxe Expeditions, but you might already be too late as, owing to the growing popularity of way out-there skiing and snowboarding experiences, many of their winter 2026 trips were practically sold out by September.

GOING SOLO

You just have to search 'singles ski holiday' online to see how popular going solo on a ski or snowboard trip has become. From small indie ski holiday organisers to the big tour ops, there is no shortage of choice offering solo ski holidays to meet new friends. And, significantly, all are attracting solo skiers with none of the usual price supplements to penalise being single.

This is a growing sector of the ski holiday, in contrast to family ski trips which have started to drop as costs have escalated. The market is highlighted by the latest research from the Mountain Trade Network in partnership with the Ski Club of Great Britain and retailer, Snow + Rock, featuring data for UK skiers and snowboarders across the ski destination travel industry and making comparisons over the past three years.

The Adventure Travel Conference recently reported a 23 percent year-on-year increase in solo bookings from the 35–44 age group, with 16 percent of all new travellers now going solo.

When it comes to ski holidays, 18 percent chose to go skiing alone, last winter (compared to 13 percent in 2023), in contrast to family ski holiday figures, which have taken a hit, although they still make up 60 percent of the market (but down from 68 percent in 2023).

Savvy ski operators are starting to recognise and accommodate this growing market. Luxury chalet operator VIP SKI, reporting a remarkable 45 percent increase in solo ski bookings over the past three seasons, offers catered chalets ideal for individual bookings with no-single-supplement deals and complimentary transfers from Geneva. 

Gareth Crump, Sales Director at VIP SKI comments: 'People aren’t waiting around for someone to say yes to a trip anymore. They’re realising that skiing solo doesn’t mean skiing alone. Our chalets are friendly, our guides are welcoming, and we’ve made it easier and more affordable to go for it.'

COUNTING THE COSTS

The European marketing strategy to attract wealthier tourists - specifically the Spanish who are looking for upmarket visitors to their beaches instead of the sun-seeking budget Brit brigade - hardly applies to ski resorts where high costs generally, such as gear and passes, are a natural filter.

But cheaper mid-week flights and shorter stays with the emphasis on DIY catering through booking apps are among cut price factors that are attracting cost-conscious skiers who can now customise their holidays, rather than be bound by Saturday to Saturday holiday packages from ski operators. 

With daily ski passes in the US now averaging around $200 a day, ski touring is also an increasingly popular way that skiers are reducing their wintersports activity costs at the same time cutting down on their carbon footprint through use of mechanical lifts.

Meanwhile, the pandemic created a mountain home property boom with a spike in the market for ski resort retreats, now offering passive income potential out of second homes. 

Of course, not everyone welcomes second home owners, who push up property prices, rentals for locals and general living costs. Not everyone welcomes a ski resort in their backyard, either, certainly not John Dutton of Yellowstone Ranch. 

BOOMER BOOM

The 50s boom babies are now retired and loving life on the hill. That’s 'on' the hill, you whipper snapper, not 'over'. They're more lined than a groomed piste but frighteningly fit and bright-eyed (depending on how many glasses of vin rouge for après).

No longer having dependents (except maybe the dog that has its own passport) they’ve swapped bus pass for seasonaire lift pass, determined to make it to over 75 when it’s mostly free. They can now spend three to four weeks shredding the white stuff (that’s snow not their hair) – or even the whole season as Geezonaires since deciding to SKI, that is Spend the Kids’ Inheritance, on a mountainside apartment.

They're the generation with disposable incomes, as the grown-up kids have finally flown the nest (or, quite often, are still IN the nest  so Skeezers had to do the flying). They can now afford top of the range kit  (though they may not be quite the target customer that the Marketing Manager of Arc’teryx had in mind)

Euromonitor states: 'The global population aged 60+ will grow 65 percent from 2021 to 2040, reaching over two billion people. This relatively wealthy cohort is gaining more experience and confidence using online services and choosing to adopt more tech solutions that assist with their daily lives.'

With all the overheads of ski holidays increasing in cost, ski resorts are wise to target these digital seniors who are the predominant group in the top income band (USD250,000). 

They'll be skiing until their knees give way - and, then, with the increasing success of replacements, they'll just have new ones fitted and carry on.

And they're not just going for a week's ski holiday. With so much time on their hands, they're can take as long as the pension allows. Along with the ski-ving ethics of today's digital nomads, they're part of the new wave of ski vacation stretchers now spending at least one month in the mountains.

DIGITAL SNOMADS

WFH as in Working From High has become a reality for many skiers and snowboarders, living the snomad life. And the more progressive ski resorts are encouraging them.

'Businesses should innovate goods, services and experiences that respond to this once-in-a-generation moment, coupled with marketing that acknowledges and embraces the upheaval,' counsels Euromonitor.

The ever-growing group of 'amenity migrants' are demanding different experiences, products and opportunities than longtime residents, visiting tourists, and seasonal workers. They may be discouraged from hogging a table at the internet cafe during peak holiday times, but resorts should welcome these digital social media savvy customers.

Big White, BC, has been researching the needs of this contemporary cohort, teaming up with the regional Chamber of Commerce. A recent co-working event investigated the potential for a high altitude co-working centre which would benefit residents of the ski resort as well as regular visitors who might tack on extra days to winter and summer trips if there were work facilities.

Co-working hubs already exist in many resort towns - for example, near Heavenly Resort Tahoe, Breckenridge, Golden near Kicking Horse, Fernie, and Revelstoke. Meanwhile, in Verbier, you can co-work and co-live at Le Chable, just 300m away from both the train station and the gondolas. 

Significantly more countries worldwide are opening up to digital workers, offering visas to those who can prove incomes. And, yes, some have mountains. Check them out here.

EVEN HIGHER TECH

Hands up if you would consider going out skiing without tech? High tech just gets higher every winter with increasingly sophisticated gadgets for route-planning, communication, filming, keeping warm and safety at the press of a button (or voice control). Lord help you if you've forgotten to pack your chargers and plug adaptor.

Spearheading in-resort tech, Vail Resorts, which own and operates mountain resorts around the world, have the most comprehensive info all featured on your mobile via My Epic App. The app contains guests' Mobile Pass and Mobile Lift Ticket as well as a host of other tech features including:        

• Interactive trail maps with GPS location tracking
• Real-time and predictive lift line wait times
• Personalised stats, including vertical feet, number of lift rides and other data
• My Account and pass information, including resort access and any restricted dates associated with your pass
• Mountain and resort alerts, including operational information like grooming updates, terrain status, snow reports and base conditions
• Direct access to ski patrol for emergency situations
• Weather updates and snow cams
• Resort Charge to pay for in-resort purchases, and apply eligible Epic Mountain Rewards discounts, by scanning a barcode  

In support of the company’s Commitment to Zero sustainability, this change over time will also reduce the waste created by plastic cards and RFID chips.

Meanwhile, UK tech company, Carv is going from strength to strength. The Carv digital ski coach, fitted onto ski boots, coaches how to carve via live audio through Bluetooth headphones or Airpods. With tips for everyone from beginners to experienced skiers, Carv has become the go-to app for anyone wanting to improve their technique. The new hardware (Carv 2), saw Carv's user base nearly double, last winter, with now over 50,000 skiers globally using the app. Carv has also hit another milestone, this year, having collected data on over a billion ski turns using their tiny but powerful sensors. 

NOT JUST 'SKI' RESORTS

Most ski resorts have been figuring out how to be perceived as more than a one-stop sport  'ski' resort. Filling up in the summer - and even between seasons - by increasing attractions such as mountain biking, hiking, trail running, kayaking and zip-wires - is the goal to make resorts year-round destinations.

Alternatives to skiing and snowboarding, spread the appeal of ski resorts even in the winter months. Figures from the European Sporting Goods Industry show that the biggest increase recently was recorded in the Nordic crosscountry ski category, with over 33 percent more sales than the previous season. According to industry experts, the step-up in demand for such equipment could be explained by the effects of COVID when skiers found an alternative to piste skiing and avoiding crowded lifts in ski resorts.

Consequently more ski resorts are paying attention to their crosscountry trails although, as they are mostly at lower altitudes in the valleys, the season is potentially shorter now - and in the future - because of lack of snow cover.

Similarly there has been a boom in ski touring gear including avy safety equipment with more skiers heading out into the backcountry. To keep them inbounds, many ski resorts have now created ski tour trails with the appeal of staying in the relative safety of the resort's patrol.

AIMING FOR NET ZERO

In 2024, the Winter Sports Industry Climate Pact was launched to address climate change and help its members achieve a net-zero carbon emissions future. A key commitment of the Pact was to improve climate efforts by joining the UN Race to Zero Campaign, which aligns and validates climate targets through internationally verified climate initiatives. Over the last year, the below listed brands have lived up to this commitment and will now take the next step in accelerating their climate work even further:

Atomic, Blizzard-Tecnica, Burton, Dalbello, Decathlon, Dynastar, Elan, International Biathlon Union, Jones Snowboard, K2, Kästle, Lange, Line, Look, Madshus, Marker, Nordica, OneWay, Ride, Rossignol, Salomon, Stöckli, The Nidecker Group, Völkl.

Carbon neutrality and commitment to net zero emissions are the buzzwords, which are leading to low-carbon product innovation and the development and launch of climate-friendly products.

Ski resorts ahead of the game are Wolf Creek in Colorado, which is 100 percent operated by solar power. Vail Resorts' Epic Promise programme includes a goal for zero net emissions by 2030.. 

Most ski resorts now recognise the need for sustainability and to be transparent about the measures they are putting in place to counteract climate change - and, thus, ensure their futures.

GREENER GEAR

Increasingly, skiwear and ski gear manufacturers are vaunting the more sustainable aspects of their ranges - in fact, sustainability is the biggest trend in ski and snowboard clothing going forward.

Meanwhile the mantra gaining strength in the ski industry and in resorts is: recycle, renovate, re-invent, rent and resell.

But how really eco-friendly, sustainable and recycled are our ski and snowboard brands? Well, soon we'll know for sure as the new EU Empowering Consumers Directive comes into force September 2026 banning misleading generic descriptions to protect consumers from inaccurate 'eco-friendly' claims. Meanwhile the yet-to-be-agreed Greens Claims Directive will call for complete transparency from brands to substantiate any of their green credential claims.

Meanwhile, there's plenty of noise in the industry watching out for waste. 'Business models are evolving to include buy-back programmes, reusable packaging initiatives, refurbished product offerings and peer-to-peer marketplaces,' says Euromonitor.

An example of this is Rossignol's One-For-One ski programme. As well as exemplifying the pre-loved trend, Rossignol is adding a cause-related aspect.

"For every pair of skis sold on our websites globally - NorAm, EMEA, APAC - we will refurbish and donate a pair to communities around the world," says Gabriel Authier, Chief Marketing Officer for Rossignol. 'The One-for-One programme aims to not only extend the product lifecycle of used Rossignol alpine skis, but to also support charitable organisations and sports federations around the world. We want to help those dedicated to providing underserved communities with the resources and access to experience and develop wintersports.'  

WORK PERKS

With staff shortages affecting ski areas the world over, resorts are having to be creative to attract and retain their workforce. Euromonitor reported that 44 percent of US professionals believe their companies will invest in employee health and welfare in the future.

'Companies need to offer policies and products that provide value and support personal growth to drive loyalty,' Euromonitor advises. 'Employees are looking for careers that accommodate their life outside of the office.'

Vail Resorts has a Perks and Benefits section up front and central on its job site. A job with them is persuasively dubbed an 'experience of a lifetime'. Perks include free ski passes for employees and dependents, free ski/snowboard lessons for employees, discounts for family and friends, retail discounts of 40 percent, and other deals on food, lodging, transportation, mountain activities.

There's also a 'Time Off' policy advertised, with attractive options for 'paid time away from work for rest and relaxation' as well as paid parental leave for full-time employees. Instead of traditional job training, team members at Vail Resorts are given 'the opportunity to learn and grow' through Epic Service, a 'frontline leadership development experience' with a personalised approach. 

EVEN HEALTHIER BENEFITS

For a sport practised  in fresh mountain air, it's surprising that skiing doesn't have a higher healthy profile. But the apres drinking and partying combined with cholesterol-Inducing food somewhat cancel out the health benefits of a ski or snowboarding holiday.

Enter the new zen Gen-Z ski holiday. 

'The Alps in winter are intoxicating enough without a spike of overpriced alcohol,' says Ben Coombes, founder of the new hangover-avoiding holiday company, SoberSki. In the French resort of Méribel, not known for the sobriety of its visitors, Soberski will be offering healthy mountain ski holidays from next January with alternatives to apres such as yoga and breathing workshops instead of boozy bars.

And, with today's health awareness, mountain food no longer needs to equate to a mountain of food. Even in France, where the doctors in ski resorts don't do cholesterol tests on residents in the spring, knowing how high the results could be from all that cheese laden tartiflette, there's a slow move to offer less carnivore-focused burgers and processed charcuteries and more healthy vegetarian options. This is affirmed by the fact that there are now 390 vegan-friendly restaurants in the French Alps on Trip Advisor.