Skiers back on piste in holiday boom

Skiers back on piste in holiday boom

The number of people taking skiing holidays, which went downhill in the mid-1990s, climbed by more than 9 per cent last winter.

A total of 830,000 Britons took to foreign slopes in 1996-97, giving the industry its first major surge for five years, according to figures from ski holiday company Crystal. Tour operators accounted for 475,000 of the holidays - 10 per cent more than in the 1995-96 season - with 205,000 making independent arrangements and 150,000 who went on school trips. France (24.5 per cent of the market) was the top destination, followed by Austria (20.1 per cent ) and Italy (19.8 per cent ). North America broke through the 10 per cent share figure for the first time.