Russia s leading travel and tourism exhibition 12 14 March 2019 Russian Outbound Ski Tourism in 2018: An Overview A look at the Russian outbound ski market in 2018 covering: The ski tourism landscape in Russia A market overview What Russian tourists look for in a ski holiday How resorts can benefit from Russian tourists How ski destinations are attracting more Russian tourists
The ski tourism landscape in Russia It s an exciting time for international ski resorts looking to attract more visitors. The Russian outbound ski tourism market is showing sure signs of growth thanks to wider economic recovery. The 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi was a key moment for winter sports in Russia, driving demand and leading to new domestic ski resorts. In the years following, the market has expanded at an accelerated pace with an increasing number of domestic skiers and improved attendance at domestic ski resorts. Demand for ski tourism is on the rise and the potential for growth is huge The financial crisis of 2014-2017 bolstered the domestic ski industry as Russian tourists who would ordinarily spend their winter holidays abroad chose closer and cheaper ski destinations. However, with the economy improving leading to a Of Russia s 140 million inhabitants, only and only 3% 17% currently ski, of them travel abroad to do so. 25% increase in general outbound tourism in 2017, the outbound ski market is set to flourish as Russian skiers look further afield to satisfy their taste for the mountains.
Russian outbound ski tourism: a market overview Roughly 66% 75% 83% $ are skiers ski domestically book via travel agents 25% 17% 34% are snowboarders travel abroad are independent travellers Tourists using travel agents tend to spend more than independent travellers When do they book? Independent travellers decide on their destination earlier than those who book via travel agents, but leave the rest of the planning closer to departure. Growth of the market The 2017/18 winter season was particularly strong for the outbound ski market, with all major Russian tour operators seeing significant sales growth. Popular ski resorts saw growth of 15-34%, with France, Italy, and Austria seeing the most dramatic rises in Russian tourists, explained Maya Lomidze, Executive Director, Association of Russian Tour Operators. Other resorts also saw impressive figures Bulgaria s Bansko resort saw a 45% rise in Russian ski tourists, reaching record numbers. The success of the season has led to renewed optimism for the future, with tour operator Tez Tour opening bookings for 2018/19 earlier than ever before. Early bookings start in April-May, but the peak of sales is from September-November. By the end of December, as a rule, up to 90% of all tours for the season are booked, and there s a small tail about 10% from January- March. Jet Travel Ski bookings are always made in advance, thanks to hotels early-bird discounts. Usually, around 70% of sales are made by the end of November, while the remaining 30% complete in late February and March and are around 25-30 days before departure. Anex Tour
What do Russian tourists look for in a ski holiday abroad? Russian ski tourists are looking for good food and drinks and a comfortable stay. They expect good service and management, and are very punctual and expect that of you. We have noticed that Russian ski tourists are skiing less but staying longer they love to have spa treatments. It s the whole package for them. Nettravel, Azerbaijan Criteria for choosing resorts include the variety of pistes, proximity to lifts, standard of accommodation, resort infrastructure, après-ski, resort height, and spa facilities Demand is rising for all-inclusive ski holidays that include ski passes, equipment hire, ski schools, and full board Recently, Russian tourists have been guided primarily by price. So around 80% of all package tours fit into the 700-1,000 euro per person bracket. However, they also tend to choose resorts of a high standard, and save on accommodation. The standard of hotels varies greatly from country to country. In France, Russian tourists mostly book self-catering, whereas in other countries it s mainly breakfast or half-board. Approximately 80% of hotels our customers book are 3-4 star. Maxim Pristavko, Deputy Director, Jet Travel Family-friendly resorts; Russians are travelling more with their children, with 2018 seeing a 17% increase in family holiday bookings Demand is no longer centered on New Year holidays, it s now becoming more evenly spread over the season from December to mid-april There are two criteria tourists tend to fall into when choosing hotels: they are either mostly concerned by close proximity to the ski lifts and will pay any price for this, or conversely, they are mostly concerned by value for money and proximity to the slopes comes second. They also expect good service on the slopes, quality pistes, and availability of ski schools, and are swayed by the availability of swimming and spa facilities in the hotel. Anex Tour
12 14 March 2019 How ski resorts can benefit from Russian tourists Key times Longer length of stay Not only do Russian winter holidays occur at different times to European holidays, Russian tourists are taking more ski holidays outside traditional holiday times, making them key to keeping hotel occupancy rates high throughout the season. Russian tourists average length of stay is 10 nights 2 nights longer than the global average, according to the Visa Global Travel Intentions Study 2018. High spend rates Russian tourists spend on average $1,676 per person per foreign holiday, more than their European counterparts who spend $1,174, according to the recent Visa Global Travel Intentions Study 2018. This is expected to rise by a further 5% over the next two years. Russian tourists stay for a longer period than our customers from the Balkan countries. They don t just come for a few days, they stay for a period of around 10 days. Bansko, Bulgaria
How ski destinations are attracting more Russian tourists Norway For the Russian market we are heavily promoting our biggest resorts SkiStar Trysil and Hemsedal. A new airport will be built very close to the resorts so we re interested in getting this traffic from Russia. The resorts provide a good product for families; the slopes are good, there s snow guaranteed, we have good safe slopes as well as a variety of heights. Most of the accommodation is ski-in, ski-out so it s good for children; they stay on the slopes. SkiStar has introduced a snowman character Valle, who has become very popular with children. He s involved in many kids activities at the resort. To tackle the low season in January and April, SkiStar introduced Valle weeks when families can get free ski schools, equipment and passes. This has massively increased tourist flow. Kayseri, Turkey Turkey has a close relationship with Russia when it comes to tourism. Russian tourists come to Turkey for our beaches but the Ministry of Tourism is trying to divert them elsewhere to diversify and improve year-round tourism. Direct flights recently launched from Moscow to Kayseri, so we held welcome events for the first Russian groups with singers and entertainment. We provide the highest level of Turkish hospitality and great food and have Russian speaking staff throughout the resort. Our resort is special because it combines winter sports with the cultural attractions of the towns of Kayseri and Cappadocia, so it s a great option for what we call Cultural Skiing. With very reasonable prices and close proximity to the international airport, the resort is extremely easy for international tourists. We ve noticed from the beginning a high calibre of Russian tourists in Kayseri and the region and we re sure we ll see many more guests as our popularity in Russia increases. Bardonecchia, Italy Russia is not yet one of our key markets but it s a big country and they have a lot of tourists interested in winter sports. Italy is famous for its food. In Bardonecchia, we manage five restaurants and we invest a lot in the ambience, the space, and the quality of the food. We provide a very high standard of skiing and gastronomy, so it s an all offer, something more than skiing. We organise transfers from the base of the resort to the top of the mountain where we have restaurants we have three snow cat vehicles to take people to the restaurants in the evening when the lifts are shut. It s a special experience. For us an area where we are looking to improve is to have more Russian speaking ski instructors and staff. It s crucial for ski instructors because you need to have complex conversations and explain the technical details.
Meet the ski world in one place at MITT 2019 12 14 March 2019 A dedicated area for ski tour operators, regions, resorts, hotels and service suppliers to meet Russia s top ski buyers. Why exhibit at the Ski Village: Stand out at MITT in a dedicated ski area Grow awareness of winter sport opportunities in your region Meet the right buyers including top tour operators TEZ Tour, PAC Group, Danko, ANEX Tour, Coral Travel, Intourist Thomas Cook, TUI, Biblio Globus Let buyers find you more easily Grow and develop relationships with tour operators and agencies Book your place Brand your resort as a premium world destination for the Russian market Benefit from separate PR and marketing support tm@ite-exhibitions.com