As much as we love our summer, there’s no denying Aussies are big fans of the snowy season.
The latest Roy Morgan Research facts are backing this trend, showing around one in 20 Aussies regularly or occasionally hit the slopes.
A decent 46% of skiers and snowboarders also say they’d love to visit at least one of the snow spots down under in the next two years, with Thredbo, Perisher and Smiggins cited as the most in demand at 27%.
Another 7% say other areas of the Snowy Mountains such as Selwyn and Jindabyne appeal, making the NSW high country a prospective holiday destination for 30% of all snow bunnies in the next two years.
“900,000 Australians now regularly or occasionally participate in snow skiing or snowboarding, and almost half a million watch the sport on TV,” Roy Morgan’s group account director for tourism and travel Angela Smith said.
“In Australia, almost half of skiers/snowboarders say they want to visit the New South Wales or Victorian Snowfields/High Country within the next two years. New Zealand is also a major snow destination among Australian snow sports participants, especially Queenstown.”
In Victoria, there are more snow-capped peaks to choose from, but fewer skiers and boarders live nearby, with 19% nationally saying they’d carve up some Victorian snow fields.
Falls Creek and Mt Hotham are the favourites, at 9% each, with Mt Buller following with 6% of votes, and then Mt Buffalo, Mt Baw Baw and Lake Mountain area trailing at 3%.
And while proximity is a big factor in where Aussies decide to shred some tracks, the ski bums are more likely than their non-snowy Aussies to head abroad, especially to places with some powder.
Around 31% have their sights set on Mainland Europe, including France (9%), Italy (8%), Germany (6%), Scandinavia (6%), Austria (3%) and Switzerland (3%).
While these destinations might be on go-to lists for reasons other than (or as well as) their snowfields, skiers/snowboarders are almost 50% more likely than the average Australian to choose a country in Mainland Europe for a desired holiday.
The skiers and snowboarders of down under also favour the continental USA (20%), New Zealand (19%), Japan (16%) and Canada (13%) at rates well above the norm.
“Europe’s ski industry is reported to be booming,” Smith added.
“Although The Alps are still the world’s biggest ski destination, Eastern European resorts are also becoming more popular.
“Skiing is a global sport and holiday activity, and destinations and resorts around the world need to target and communicate with this small but valuable market.”
