Croatia has been revealed as the destination which may provide the best value for ski holidays this winter, according to a survey by Sainsbury’s Travel Money.
The survey was conducted across ski resorts in 18 different countries calculating the cost of two adults going away for one week including flights, transfers, a three or four star hotel stay and 6-day lift passes. The findings revealed that Bjelolasica in Croatia was the cheapest of the resorts surveyed at £1,024, followed by Kranjska Gora in Slovenia at £1,204 and Bansko in Bulgaria at £1,261.
At over £5,200 for a week's stay, Hokkaido in Japan was the most expensive of the destinations surveyed, followed by Faraya in Lebanon (£4,224), and more traditional destinations Whistler in Canada (£3,807) and Vail in the US (£3,735).
The survey also revealed that only one in five people (20 per cent) who have previously skied or snowboarded plan to go this winter, and 73 per cent of them are looking for various ways to slash the cost of winter holidays. Going to cheaper resorts, staying in cheaper accommodation, taking packed lunches instead of eating in mountain restaurants and borrowing ski clothes and equipment are some of cost-cutting measures, the survey found.
David Barrett of Sainsbury's Travel Money, said: "Skiing is an expensive sport and in a time of financial uncertainty it seems that many enthusiasts are being forced to either forgo their holiday or try to find ways of reducing the cost of their trip. Looking beyond the traditional ski destinations can provide a way of saving significant sums on a ski holiday. Skiers and snowboarders should also look to reduce the cost in other ways such as shopping around for the most competitive rates on their travel money and arrange it as far in advance as they can."
The study also revealed that some are looking to cut winter holiday travel costs by not taking ski lessons or taking out travel insurance.
"Whilst budgeting and finding the best deal is important, consumers planning a skiing holiday should not scrimp on travel insurance. Should the 2% not planning to take out travel insurance have an accident and hurt themselves, medical fees could far outweigh the savings they have made on the holiday itself," Barrett added.