Luxury ski customers are booking earlier, spending more and increasingly looking for exclusive mountain experiences, according to luxury travel specialists ahead of the winter 2026/2027 season.
Agents are being encouraged to secure luxury clients’ ski holidays early.
Inspiring Travel Senior Product Manager for Ski Joy Woodside said: “Our luxury clients are already getting organised for next winter’s ski holiday knowing only too well that premium hotels and resorts over key festive or February school holiday dates sell quickly.
“People who enjoy a ski holiday will always pay homage to the mountains annually.”
Carrier Product Manager for Ski Liz Goodwin added: “We have already secured some strong early bookings for peak travel periods, particularly over the festive season.”
The luxury ski market is also proving resilient despite wider global uncertainty, with Inspiring Travel reporting no impact from recent political tensions.
Joy added: “It is also fair to say that the ski resorts are perceived as a safe haven to travel to, and a world away from the politically unstable world.”
The Alps continue to dominate luxury ski demand, with France and Austria firm standouts.
Liz said: “Demand for winter 2026/27 is currently strongest for French ski resorts, particularly destinations such as Meribel, Morzine and Val d’Isere. We’re also seeing healthy interest in Switzerland, which continues to perform well among luxury ski customers.”
Joy agreed France continues to do well. The Three Valleys ‘firmly remain number one in popularity’, she said, highlighting the appeal of luxury hotel brands offering ski in/out access, ‘exquisite dining, and pristine high snow-sure slopes’.
While there is growing interest in other destinations, Europe remains the clear preference for luxury travellers.
“The vast majority of bookings are currently for European ski destinations, with the Alps continuing to dominate demand,” said Liz. “While we are seeing some interest in North America, Europe remains the clear preference for our customers.”
Austria is also selling well, particularly among those new to skiing.
“More recently Austria has gained in popularity especially with clients wishing to try a ski holiday for the first time,” said Joy, adding that the country offers ‘a well-rounded ski experience’ including their ‘famous lively apres ski’.
Personal Travel Agent Helen Furlong, who specialises in ski, added she’s seeing a ‘shift from France into Austria and Switzerland’, particularly to Zermatt, perhaps due to the snow security, and ‘quality of good-value accommodation’.
Helen added: “We’ve been selling very strongly over the past six to eight weeks, mostly the really nice quality groups, looking for nice hotels in Austria particularly.”
According to new research commissioned by Iglu, snow reliability is the single biggest factor when choosing a resort, named by 78% of skiers, well ahead of value for money (56%) and number of runs (46%).
Suppliers also noted that affluent customers are increasingly seeking privacy and experiences beyond the slopes.
Carrier has seen customers spend more on their ski holidays than in previous years, with average booking values increasing to £30,600 from £22,000 year-on-year. Average party sizes have also grown from five to six guests.
Liz said: “We’re also seeing growth in demand for chalet accommodation, which now accounts for around half of bookings alongside ski hotels, reflecting customers’ desire for greater space, privacy and exclusive experiences.”
Joy said Inspiring Travel has also seen a rise in demand for private chalets: “We have seen a rise in clients wishing to secure a luxury ski chalet, bringing together friends and family, and we have increased our chalet portfolio to meet this demand.
“What matters most to clients when selecting their next ski destination is resort altitude and how reliable the snow is, the size of the ski area and the quality of the accommodation to relax in after their day on the slopes.”
The company also highlighted a growing appetite for winter escapes that are not solely focused on skiing.
“We have also seen a rise in clients perhaps wishing to enjoy a winter vibe holiday generally in the mountains but not necessarily ski but enjoy the views, spa, wellness, and other activities you can perhaps try for the first time, such as snow showing, skating or dog sledding.”
Helen also noted older customers in particular looking for luxury, seeking ‘spa hotels, gourmet dining and wine cellars’ to supplement their holidays beyond skiing.
North America continues to attract some luxury travellers.
Joy said: “North America is a perfect option for a longer ski holiday and is especially good for late-season spring skiing, so we often see clients booking a second ski holiday in the same ski season by venturing over the pond.”
Carrier added that while there is interest in North America, it remains secondary to Alpine destinations.
