Discover the results of the Iglu Ski survey 2025

Our annual survey is a chance to learn more more about the wants and needs of our customers, including who they are as skiers, what motivates their holiday choices, and how they like to book.

Unsurprisingly, nearly two thirds of respondents self-described as passionate about skiing, with over 42% managing to hit the slopes twice a season – most commonly for two seven-night trips. Just under half (45%) have their own skis or board, and many more (83%) own boots.

Typically, they ski with family or small groups of friends, and favour high-altitude, snow-sure resorts with plenty of restaurants and bars to choose from. The vast majority (67%) of respondents said they prefer the convenience of a package holiday.

Check out the responses to every survey question below for more key insights.

Q1. How passionate are you about skiing/boarding?

65% of the people who filled in the survey said they were passionate about skiing, followed by very passionate (attending shows and reading articles) at 22%.

• Very passionate – attending ski shows and reading articles – 22%
• Passionate – 65%
• I just think about it once a year when I go – 12%
• Neutral – it’s just another holiday – 0.51%

Q2. How often do you normally ski/board?

Half (50%) of our respondents said they normally hit the slopes once a season, while 42% manage to squeeze in two or more trips every year.

• Once a season – 50%
• 2 or more times a season – 42%
• Every other year – 5%
• Every few years – 2%

Q3. If you ski/board more than once a season, how long is each holiday?

Of those who ski more than once a season, 35% said they opt for two full seven-night trips, while 18% manage a week-long holiday with a short break.

• Two 7 nighters – 35%
• One 7 nighter and one short break – 18%
• Other – 8%
• Two short breaks – 1.5%
• n/a – 38%

Q4. Have you skied/boarded since Covid-19 started in March 2020?

83% of survey respondents have managed to ski more than once since the start of the pandemic, while 10% have done so at least once.

• Yes, more than once – 83%
• Yes, once – 10%
• No – 7%

Q5. What do you prefer to do on a trip?

At 81%, skiing was the most popular choice for the vast majority of respondents, with just 12% preferring to board and 5% opting for a bit of both.

• Ski – 81%
• Board – 12%
• Bit of both – 5%
• Other winter activities – 2%

Q6. How would you describe your skiing/boarding ability?

The majority (54%) of survey respondents described their skiing or boarding ability as intermediate, while 37% classed themselves as advanced and 8% as experts.

• Intermediate – 54%
• Advanced – 37%
• Expert – 8%
• Beginner – 2%

Q7. What group size do you normally ski/board with? Up to 2 answers

Families and small groups of friends (both 35%) were the most common group size for skiing holidays, followed by couples at 28%. Skiing solo (9%) was the least popular option.

• My family – 35%
• Friends 1-4 – 35%
• Couple – 28%
• Group 5-9 – 20%
• Large group 10+ – 12%
• Solo – 9%

Q8. If you travel in large group, how do you prefer to book?

Of those who go skiing with a large group, 46% said they prefer to book online, with just under 17% booking their group trip over the phone.

• Online – 46%
• By phone – 17%
• In person – 3%
• n/a – 34%

Q9. How does the large group organiser share holiday options?

WhatsApp (43%) was our respondents go-to tool for planning large group trips, followed by email (20%). Just 1% said they create a Facebook group to share holiday options.

• WhatsApp – 43%
• Email – 20%
• Other – 2%
• Facebook group – 1%
• n/a – 34%

Q10. How do you find out about a possible destination?

Online research (82%) was the primary method respondents used to discover resorts, followed by personal experience (64%) and word of mouth (41%).

• Research online – 82%
• Been before – 64%
• Word of mouth – 41%
• Read an article in a newspaper or magazine – 24%
• Social Media – 17%
• Saw an advertisement – 9%

Q11. What factors influence your choice of resort?

Selected by 87% of respondents, snow-surety was the clear priority when choosing a resort, followed by value for money (63%) and the number of runs (60%). In-keeping with responses to our question on ability, 58% said the number of intermediate runs influences resort choice.

• Snow-sure – 87%
• Value for money – 63%
• High number of runs – 60%
• Good for intermediates – 58%
• Transfer time – 46%
• Varied slopes – 39%
• My preferred accommodation is available – 36%
• Good for advanced skiers – 33%
• Cost of the lift pass – 31%
• Après-ski – 28%
• Family-friendly – 13%
• Good for beginners – 12%
• Non-ski options – 7%

Q12. Rank these resort centre features in terms of importance to you, 1 being highest, 5 being lowest

When it comes to resort centre features, having a good selection of restaurants and bars were the most valued amenities, ranked 3.56/5 and 3.39/5 respectively.

• Number of restaurants – Score: 3.56
• Number of bars – Score: 3.39
• Number of supermarkets – Score: 3.12
• Number of non-ski activities – Score: 2.53
• Number of family-friendly activities – Score: 2.40

Q13. How concerned are you about snow conditions?

The vast majority of respondents said they mitigate snow anxiety by booking high-altitude resorts, with 62% saying this strategy means they don't have to worry about conditions. This was three times the percentage that said they book later than they used to so they have a better idea of conditions (20%).

• I tend to book high resorts so I don’t worry – 62%
• I leave it later than I used to to make my booking – 20%
• I like to book ahead, and don’t worry too much – 11%
• I only book when I know the forecast – 3%
• I never worry - there’s always something to do – 3%

Q14. When considering travel options, what are the most important factors? (Choose up to 2 answers)

When it comes to travel options, price (52%) and airport convenience (50%) were the two biggest deciding factors, closely followed by the total journey time to the resort (47%).

• The price – whatever is cheapest – 52%
• The convenience of a local airport – 50%
• How fast I can get to resort – 47%
• My carbon footprint – 12%
• The convenience of driving my own car – 81%

Q15. Do you sometimes work remotely whilst based in a ski/board resort?

83% of respondents said they never work remotely when on a skiing holiday, with just 13% occasionally working, and 4% often working.

• Never – 83%
• Sometimes (mostly second trips) – 13%
• Often – 4%

Q16. Is the industry impact on the environment a concern to you when choosing a ski/board holiday?

The majority of respondents (66%) were neutral about the industry's environmental impact, with just 19% were not at all concerned and 15% saying it factored into their ski holiday choices.

• I'm neutral – 66%
• Not at all – 19%
• Yes, it has a big impact on my choices – 15%

Q17. If so, how important is a hotel’s environmental policy?

Of those who do consider the environment, 30% were either neutral about a hotel’s green credentials or considered it a nice-to-have. 21% said that it's becoming more important each year.

• I’m neutral – 30%
• It’s a nice-to-have – 30%
• It’s becoming more important each year – 21%
• It’s not important to me – 14%
• I will only go to hotels committed to the environment – 5%

Q18. If so, how important is a resort’s environmental policy?

Similarly, an even proportion (28%) of those who factor the environment into their holiday choices saw a resort's environmental commitment as either a nice-to-have or an increasingly important consideration.

• It’s a nice-to-have – 28%
• It’s becoming more important each year – 28%
• I’m neutral – 27%
• It’s not important to me – 12%
• I will only go to resorts committed to the environment – 5%

Q19. What type of holiday do you typically book?

67% of respondents said they prefer to book a package holiday, while 20% opt for a DIY approach and 14% use travel companies but choose bespoke elements.

• I book a package – 67%
• I do it all myself – 18%
• I choose my own elements, but use a travel company – 14%

Q20. If you make your own arrangements, how do you travel?

Of those who preferred to do it themselves, flying was by far the most popular way to travel (70%), while 34% said the vary their mode of transport and 10% drive and take the Eurotunnel.

• Flights – 70%
• It varies – 34%
• Self-drive via Le Shuttle – 10%
• Self-drive with a ferry – 3%

Q21. Are you aware that Iglu Ski offers accommodation without flights? Accommodation could include hotels, apartments, catered chalets and holiday rentals.

The vast majority of respondents (78%) were aware that we offer flexible accommodation-only options, with just 22% saying they were not.

• Yes – 78%
• No – 22%

Q22. Do you have your own skis/board?

Just over half (52%) of those who responded to our survey said they don't have their own gear due to the hassle of transporting it, while 45% prefer their own equipment.

• No - too much hassle to transport them – 52%
• Yes - I prefer my own equipment – 45%
• No - too expensive – 8%

Q23. Do you have your own boots?

In contrast to the above, over 83% of respondents said they have their own boots, with just 14% choosing to rent – again because of the hassle of transporting them.

• Yes - I prefer my own – 83%
• No - too much hassle to transport them – 13%
• No - too expensive – 4%

Q24. Which do you book first?

Most people (46%) book their holiday before looking for new kit, with just 8% buying ski equipment before booking a ski trip.

• I book my holiday first then look for kit – 46%
• I buy kit before I have committed to a holiday – 8%
• n/a – 46%

Q25. Where do you like to buy your ski/board gear?

Of those who buy their own ski gear, the majority (49%) said they do so at specialist shops, while 25% find new equipment online and 12% look for deals on the high street.

• In a ski specialist shop – 49%
• Online new – 25%
• On the high street (e.g. T.K Maxx, Decathlon) – 12%
• In resort – 7%
• Online second-hand – 6%
• At a Ski Show – 2%

Q26. About your Lift Pass

Pre-booking was the preferred way to sort lift passes, with over 42% of respondents securing their lift pass at the time of booking and 30% before they travel.

• I pre-book my lift pass at the time of booking – 42%
• I pre-book my lift pass after booking and before I travel – 30%
• I sort it out on arrival – 28%

Q27. In resort, do you typically take lessons and/or book a guide?

Most (60%) of our respondents said they do not take lessons or book a guide when they go skiing. Just 12% said they typically do and 29% said they do so occasionally.

• No – 60%
• Sometimes – 29%
• Yes – 11%

Q28. Your Current Age

Those in the 55-64 age bracket accounted for the largest share of survey respondents (28%), with another 25% aged over 65. Just over 2.5% were aged 18-24.

• 55-64 – 28%
• 65+ – 25%
• 45-54 – 24%
• 25-34 – 11%
• 35-44 – 10%
• 18-24 – 3%

Q29. What age did you start skiing/boarding?

Of those who answered our survey, the most common age to start skiing or boarding was between 20-29 (34%), followed by aged 10-14 (16%) and 30-39 (13%).

• 20-29 – 34%
• 10-14 – 16%
• 30-39 – 13%
• 15-19 – 13%
• 40-49 – 10%
• Up to 4 – 7%
• 5-9 – 6%
• 50-59 – 1.5%
• 60+ – 0.5%