- Huge boost for UK travel tech business indicates increasing consumer confidence
- Business announces plans to target Italian ski tourism market
Ski instructor marketplace, Maison Sport has reported a 200 per cent rise in customers compared to previous seasons, raising confidence that ski tourism is set for a strong recovery despite recent covid developments.
The Edinburgh-based company, founded by three ex-British ski team members which connects its customers directly with the best independent ski and snowboard instructors, has also announced plans to target the Italian market for the first time.
Maison Sport says it is currently averaging £100k a week of new bookings, up from its pre-pandemic level of £30k a week at the same time in 2019. The company has also doubled the number of instructors on its books compared to the 2019/2020 season to 1300 and has reported a 30 per cent rise in customer spending for this time of year, all pointing to growing post-Covid confidence in the recovery of the European ski tourism market.
This latest news follows Maison Sport’s successful fundraise in May where the company secured £1.25million in external investment from both individual investors and a crowdfunding campaign.
Founded in 2016 by former ski champion brothers Nick and Olly Robinson and fellow ex-British Ski Team member Aaron Tipping, the company now boasts the third largest selection of instructors in comparison to any ski school in the world.
Over the past year, Maison Sport grew its team to 20 people and also opened a new, larger head office in Edinburgh. With its innovative platform continuing to grow, overcoming the significant challenges facing the global travel industry, the company plans further expansion into Asia and South America over the course of 2022.
Maison Sport has proven to be a game changer for independent ski and snowboard instructors who can significantly increase their earnings using the platform. The marketplace has surpassed 34,000 hours of lessons taught in 364 ski resorts across Europe.
Founder and CEO, Nick Robinson said: “The significant growth in our customer numbers underline both the success in developing our business model and the rising consumer confidence in the resurgence of the ski tourism market.
“Even though the recent identification of the new Omicron variant may disrupt some travel plans people are obviously keen to get back on the slopes and our instructors are ready and waiting.
“Despite the difficulties posed by Covid-19, this latest development follows a pivotal year for the business where we secured significant investment, grew our base of instructors, and entered new markets.
“This progress continues with our expansion into Italy, where we’re already seeing impressive numbers of customers signing up to our platform. Italian customers, who’ve have typically had to book ski or snowboard lessons last minute, are now benefitting from our platform which allows them to source the best instructors and book them in advance of their ski holiday.”