InteleTravel Agents Hit the Slopes for Exclusive Ski Training Event
InteleTravel agents attended an exclusive ski training evening at the Ski Club of Ireland in Kilternan, Co. Dublin, sponsored by Club Med.
The event combined destination and product training with networking and a practical introduction to skiing, giving agents the opportunity to build their knowledge of the ski holiday market ahead of the winter season.
The group enjoyed food and networking on arrival before Aileen Eglington of AE Consulting delivered a dedicated session covering key considerations when selling ski holidays, from choosing the right destination to understanding budgets, transfers, luggage, and the differing needs of beginners, families, and experienced skiers.
Getting to Know the Ski Market
One key message from the evening was the importance of matching the right ski holiday to the individual client.
Budget can play a significant role, particularly for customers taking their first ski holiday, with destinations such as Bulgaria offering strong value for beginners. Austria was highlighted as another popular option, particularly for beginners, with a wide variety of resorts and ski schools.
Practical Tips for Selling Ski
Aileen also shared practical advice agents should consider when putting together a ski holiday. Unlike many traditional sun holidays, selling ski holidays involves understanding much more than the flight and hotel. An agent needs to consider the client's skiing ability, ski area, lessons, equipment hire, lift passes, transfers, luggage requirements and what is included in the overall package.
Transfers also need careful consideration. Journey times between airports and mountain resorts can vary considerably, while accommodation location within the resort can make a significant difference to the overall experience.
Aileen encouraged agents to familiarise themselves with the resorts and ski areas, including piste maps and how different areas connect and interconnect, so they can better advise clients before they travel.
Ski Holiday Operators
The evening also highlighted companies available to Irish agents when selling ski, with Club Med, Crystal Ski and Travel Solutions among InteleTravel's preferred partners.
Event sponsor Club Med showcased its premium all-inclusive ski offering, with the company operating resorts across some of the world's leading ski destinations. Its ski portfolio includes properties across France, Italy, Switzerland, Japan and Canada, among others.
Crystal Ski offers an extensive programme from Ireland to ski destinations across Europe and further afield, while Travel Solutions has a strong programme to Bulgaria, a destination highlighted during the evening as particularly suitable for value-conscious customers, families, groups and first-time skiers.
To the Slopes
Following the training session, agents had the opportunity to put themselves in their clients' ski boots. The Ski Club of Ireland offered lessons for those new to skiing, while more experienced attendees could take to the slopes themselves.
Based in Kilternan in the Dublin Mountains and run solely by volunteers, the Ski Club of Ireland has introduced people to skiing for decades and provides a convenient opportunity to learn and practise before travelling overseas. Recent grants have allowed the club to expand, with the introduction of sustainable floodlights for night-time skiing.
The club also has a long history of supporting adaptive skiing and has worked with skiers with physical and visual impairments, as well as athletes connected with Paralympics Ireland and Special Olympics.
The combination of training and time on the slopes gave attending InteleTravel agents the chance to experience part of the ski journey themselves, while gaining practical knowledge to help them sell the right winter holiday to their clients. Thank you to Annmarie Durkin and Aileen Eglington for this wonderful event.
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