Sparky

Tuesday 24 July 2007
Russia is now the fastest growing ski nation.

Russia is now the fastest growing ski nation
A few years ago it was rare to come across any Russians in The Alps. There were a few of the super rich in the expensive resorts maybe, but elsewhere they were a rarity. Well, not any more.

It's estimated there are up to 1 million Russians who now ski or snowboard and for the last 5 years the market has grown 20% each season. 40% of these people travel to The Alps or The Pyrenees for their winter holidays, as facilities are not as developed in Russia.

That will change in Sochi with the 2014 Winter Olympics and the associated building programme.

The Swiss Travel Company, Kuoni, has said it is making an increased effort to attract Russians to The Alps. Kuoni has recently bought an 80% stake in the Russian Tour Operator UTE Megapolus.

Russian Revolution
Courcheval in France, Kitzbuhel in Austria and Crans-Montana in Switzerland are some of the favorite resorts. Montgenevre, France, has joined a growing number of Alpine ski resorts that translate their websites into Russian in an attempt to woo Russian skiers.

"The Russians are a very important part of our client base and we have seen many more coming here in recent years," says Jorg Rowang from the Crans-Montana Tourist Office. Crans-Montana has been going to the trade and travel fairs in Russia for many years and this autumn will be attending ones in Moscow and St Petersburgh.

Not Always Welcome
The expansion has come at a price with many complaining how Courcheval is taken over by the Russians in January. The Chelsea owner, Roman Abramovich, is the most famous guest.

Last winter in the French resort another billionaire Russian businessman was arrested after suspected involvement in a prostitution ring involving young girls. The rich Russians have also pushed up the prices, from chalets to restaurants.

Kitzbuhel is reported to be restricting the number of Russian tourists to 10% of its total number of visitors in an attempt to maintain the international variety of the resort. There have been complaints about their behavior and excessive drinking.

But despite the perceived downsides many ski resorts are wooing the Russians and their roubles.

micheal

I must say, I would never have thought skiing with Russians. What a difference a few decades makes.