Exploring overseas snowsport participation by australian skiers and snowboarders

7 Tourism Review, Vol 62, No 3+4/2007

1st submission: January 8, 2007

Accepted: August 16, 2007

Purpose – While Australian snowsport participation may represent a small part of the overall interna￾tional snowsport market, the fact that Australians are renowned for their willingness to travel makes

the travel motives and behaviours of Australian skiers and snowboarders a worthwhile area of research.

This paper aims to address this issue.

Design/methodology/approach –This exploratory research was conducted via online survey using

both convenience and snowball sampling to investigate overseas snowsport travel intentions, in the next

seven months, of Australian skiers and snowboarders, many of whom were advanced participants.

Findings – People who indicated that they intended to travel overseas for snowsport were mostly males,

experienced snowsport participants, under 35 years of age, well-educated, and in higher income levels.

The results indicate that the key motivations of those intending to travel overseas relate to the core of

on-snow experience: reliability of snow, quality of snow, variety of terrain and off-piste areas. Of less im￾portance were the off-snow and alternative on-snow activities.

Practical implications – With the major sources of information for planning an overseas snowsport

trip being the internet and families and friends, the availability of current information such as resort

maps and current snow conditions via web cams, and the quality of experience of every customer visiting

the resort, are key marketing strategies for this niche market.

Originality/value – This paper concentrates on those Australian holiday-makers whose prime interest

is snowsports to the exclusion of off-piste activities/pleasures. It also highlights the significant role of

both the internet and word-of-mouth recommendation in holiday planning, and consequently the need

to ensure that every visitor experiences a high quality vacation.

Keywords: Snow, Tourism, Sports, Skiing, Snowboarding, Australia

Paper type: Research paper

This research was supported by www.ski.com.au through the hosting and promotion of the initial survey.

Exploring Overseas Snowsport Participation by

Australian Skiers and Snowboarders

TRACEY J. DICKSON & PAM FAULKS

Abstract

1 Introduction

Dr Tracey J. Dickson

Research Fellow

Centre for Tourism Research

University of Canberra

Canberra ACT 2601

AUSTRALIA

E-mail: Tracey.Dickson@canberra.edu.au

Ms Pam Faulks

PhD Student

Centre for Tourism Research

University of Canberra

Canberra ACT 2601

AUSTRALIA

T. J. Dickson, P. Faulks: Exploring Overseas Snowsport Participation by Australian Skiers and Snowboarders

The Australian snowsport industry, as with

many snowsport industries throughout the

world, is dependent upon a natural resource

that is threatened by climate change. In addi￾tion to a natural resource that is under threat,

the Australian snowsport industry also faces

increasing competition from overseas markets,

especially the emergence of Japan in the con￾sciousness of Australian snowsport partici￾pants as an attractive overseas destination.

This exploratory research investigates the trav￾el behaviours of Australians who were plan￾ning to ski or snowboard overseas during the

northern winter of 2006/07 to further under￾stand their overseas destination choice, do￾mestic participation patterns, information

sources used to support travel planning and

their previous overseas participation. This in￾formation is of interest both to domestic re￾sort operators who may fear loss of partici￾pants due to a developing overseas market –

particularly throughout Asia, and to overseas

resort operators who are seeking to offer their

product/services to Australian participants.

The results highlighted here suggest that what

is important to a skilled snowsport participant

travelling from Australia when choosing an

overseas snowsport destination is the quality

of snow and difficulty of terrain, with little

concern for other on-snow activities, night￾time entertainment or cultural experiences.

Through the use of an online survey this

research sought to gain insight into the trav￾el patterns and decision-making influences

upon people who intended to travel overseas

to go skiing or snowboarding in the upcom￾Tourism Review 3+4/07 20.11.2007 10:54 Uhr Seite 7