The British ski market appears to be performing at record levels for 2008-9 sales despite the growing financial pressures on families.

Most tour operators are reporting early sales significantly up, crediting a feel good factor hangover from the excellent conditions in the Alps last winter combined with fears that the later clients leave their bookings, the higher prices will be, a fear which is justified according to Le Ski boss Nick Morgan,

“It has been incredibly busy here since we launched our Early Booking Offer brochure. 50% of our holidays are now sold for next year and we’re 20% up on this stager last year. This is mainly very satisfied guests returning but is also partly explained by the fact that we said prices would go up on 1st August a long time ago (and they will) so people are simply booking early to avoid that rise. The rise is of course market-wide and inevitable with the oil price impacting on the air charter market for example. “

Self-catering apartment specialist Erna Low is currently 30% up on early bookings compared to this time last year – evidence they believe that there is a switch from expensive holidays to economical and flexible self catering breaks for the forthcoming winter.

Virtually all operators are offering significant early booking discounts, Thomson, for example, have up to 25% off holidays booked before the end of October.