London, UK – Here in the U.S., a ski vacation typically starts with a phone call to the airline to book seats, followed by the scouring of web pages to score a room at the right hotel. In the U.K., however, a full 81 percent of skiers still book their winter vacations through a tour operator, according to a report released yesterday by the Ski Club of Great Britain.

Independent ski travel was on the rise in the U.K. just a few years ago but despite an overall drop of four percent in the British snowsports travel market last winter, the number of bookings made through a tour operator actually increased by one percent, according to the Club’s annual Snowsports Analysis report.  The number of skiers and snowboarders traveling with tour operators has risen steadily by five percent since 2006-07, with more people seemingly attracted to the perceived value for money, inclusive deals and financial security of booking with a bonded operator. Due to unfavorable exchange rates and rising fuel prices, the cost of booking holiday components individually remains higher than booking a package holiday, according to the report. This could account for the subsequent drop in the independent and self-drive travel sectors’ market share.

Awkward holiday dates led to a difficult season structure in 2011 and may have deterred bookings, the report indicates. A very late Easter, sporadic snow conditions and early spring thaw are thought to be the main catalysts for the net four percent drop in the snowsports holiday market.

“Tour operators are innovating and adding value to their holidays in a number of ways – from introducing more all-inclusive packages, to offering deals on lift passes and free child places. Resorts are also doing their bit by revising their pricing and offering special promotions in an effort to win back the UK market,” commented  Caroline Stuart-Taylor, Chief Executive of the Ski Club. “We hope this, combined with a more positive season structure (including an earlier Easter), will entice more people back to the slopes for the forthcoming winter.”

Despite the hard economic climate and fluctuating exchange rates the average cost of a ski holiday remains virtually unchanged year on year and now stands at £717. Tour operators have leveraged their buying power and passed many savings on to the consumer.

Among destinations popular with Britons, Austria has increased its market share by five percent since 2007-08. This is due to people seeking a more affordable destination and an increased capacity offered by tour operators to Austrian resorts. Self-drive holidays and train travel to the mountains both dropped by one percent in 2010-11. Club hotels saw a two percent increase in market share and the report’s authors expect this figure to grow along with the number of catered chalets available for the coming winter.