Exploring overseas snowsport participation by Australian skiers and snowboarders

Purpose – While Australian snowsport participation may represent a small part of the overall international 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 importance 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.