Winter tourism in Germany is much more than skiing! Consumer motives and implications to Alpine destination marketing

Abstract

Winter sports tourism is a key economic factor in many mountain regions worldwide. Research to date has concentrated on economic and environmental questions related to winter sports and winter outdoor activities, with the impacts of climate change and adaptation strategies being the dominant fields of discussion. An analysis of German winter holidays indicates that winter sports are only one of several product types. The fact that the majority of German travellers prefer long-haul warm weather destinations in the winter raises the question of triggering factors for winter holiday trips. A qualitative study based on a Germany-wide online discussion forum analyses all aspects of winter trips. It centres on people’s everyday life during the winter and their linked emotions, travel motives, destination choices and general expectations, in particular with relation to trips to Alpine destinations. The results show that the grey winter weather and factors such as cold, humidity, lack of sun and dull atmosphere are the dominant factors in the desire to escape on a holiday trip. Non-skiers expect snow-covered landscapes and an environment conducive to relaxation-related activities and are therefore likely to be looking for sustainable winter products. This supports Alpine destination managers who are developing sustainable winter products in addition to winter sports in order to become more competitive in the non-skier market.

Keywords

Alps choice set destination attribute nature-based tourism skiing ski resorts sustainability travel motive winter

Introduction

Alpine winter tourism appears inseparable from winter sports. In Austria, direct and indirect economic effects of winter sports account for 4.9% of the gross domestic product (Arbesser et al., 2010). German ropeway companies claim a multiplier effect of 4.1 in the winter (Harrer, 2013). This picture of winter sports as a synonym for Alpine winter in general gets reinforced by the media. In the 2015/2016 winter season, in which there were no Olympic games, German public broadcasting showed more than 350 h of winter sports (Ahrens, 2016).

Negative impacts of winter sports as part of the public perception of Alpine winter tourism must also be considered. Environmental non-governmental organizations such as CIPRA (2014) scrutinize current ski resort developments, with new ropeways to even higher areas of the Alps and the ongoing installation and capacity extension of artificial snowmaking facilities (CIPRA, 2014). The public debate about the applications to hold the Winter Olympic Games by Munich/Bavaria (Coates and Wicker, 2015), Annecy Haute-Savoie/France for 2018 or Grisons/Switzerland for 2022 fostered scepticism about overdevelopment and ecological devastation. Furthermore, the frequent reports of massive traffic jams every year during the winter travel season have a negative impact on the perception of Alpine winter destinations (Scolozzi et al., 2015).

Not only the general public and consumers but also policymakers regard winter tourism and winter sports as synonymous. They support the ropeway sector as a booster of winter tourism development through specific state aid programmes (BayStMWVIT, 2009). In many Alpine countries and regions, governmental winter tourism strategies therefore still focus on the further development of winter sports (Smeral, 2010: 6) or in rarer cases tend to follow a two-pillar strategy. Primarily, they want to strengthen skiing tourism. In this context, they support quality improvements, including artificial snowmaking and new and higher located skiing areas. On the other hand, they recommend the development of snow-independent products (SECO, 2010: 64).

This one-sided picture of winter tourism is unrealistic. Looking at the variety of natural and cultural resources in the Alps, it is clear that several destination types exist besides winter sports resorts (Pechlaner et al., 2009). Destinations differ concerning attributes such as accessibility, the height and steepness of mountains and related infrastructure (e.g. ropeways and artificial snowmaking facilities (Unbehaun et al., 2008)) peace and quiet or multifarious entertainment. Based on these attributes, seven main types of tourism destinations can be identified (Permanent Secretariat of the Alpine Convention, 2013). Winter sports are only one of these. The others are year-round or summer related. Especially wellness (Pechlaner and Fischer, 2006), health (Schalber and Peters, 2012) and nature and culture-based experience play an important role in year-round destination types. Thereby ecotourism as a former small niche has been developing positively for years (Strobl et al., 2015).

Looking at the winter tourism demand side, a further picture becomes visible. Since 2005, Alpine destinations have lost more than 25% of their winter market share. The German travel analysis reveals that only a quarter of winter holiday trips are to the Alps. Similar numbers visit other domestic or European destinations. In contrast, long-haul and Mediterranean destinations have nearly half the market share (Bausch et al., 2016). The low market share, decreasing interest and other factors beg the question whether the current winter product portfolio meets the motives and expectations of the consumer choosing a winter destination.

This study aims at the identification of German consumers’ motivations and expectations when taking a winter holiday trip. First, a comprehensive literature review summarizes research about winter holiday trips with a specific focus on triggering factors for travelling. Because of a general lack of basic research in this field, a qualitative study has been designed covering the German source market. The selection of the key questions is based on established destination decision models. The questions are presented to an online forum selected from a panel of internet users. The discussion in the forum is moderated through the addition of two or three further questions each day. The qualitative text analysis of the posts collected in the discussion groups is based on grounded theory and uses qualitative data analysis (QDA) software. This leads to the findings about motivations and expectations of consumers in the German source market. Finally, first recommendations are given concerning the future product development focus and communication strategies for winter tourism marketers.

Literature review

Even though destination choice (Sirakaya and Woodside, 2005) and travel decision-making (Smallman and Moore, 2010) are well-established research fields, there are only few studies about destination choice for a holiday trip during the winter season. Those with an explicit reference to winter tourism can be further subdivided into three main categories. First, the influence of destination attributes on consumer destination choice. Second, the impact of climate change and related adaptation strategies on current and future destination attractiveness. And finally, travellers’ motives and emotions as factors influencing the decision-making.

Haider and Ewing (1990) describe Caribbean winter beach destinations by 10 attributes. Using an experimental choice method, they analyse the importance of these attributes for destination choice. Godfrey (1999) discusses various decision elements considered during the selection of a skiing resort in the British market. He shows that particularly snow quality and the diversity of the skiing terrain are important. In another study from Britain, Richards (1996) argues that different skill levels of British skiers result in diverging importance of destination characteristics. Skilled skiers prefer destinations with a larger and more ambitious net of slopes and are less price sensitive, while beginners and low-skilled skiers look at leisure facilities, sightseeing and accommodation quality. Siomkos et al. (2006) develop a segmentation of the visitors of 11 Greek ski resorts and give recommendations how to match consumer characteristics of segments and resort attributes. A study looking at the influence of the different consumption situation of excursionists and tourists as well as the level of recreation and activities on prioritized choice factors was performed in a Korean skiing area by Won et al. (2008). The results show that both consumption situation and the level of recreation have a significant influence on the personal preference of resort attributes.

Price is a another attribute considered when selecting a ski destination. Holmgren and McCracken (2014) analyse price and cross price elasticity of ski resorts in the region of Salt Lake City/Utah. They show the influence of the price on the visiting frequency and the choice of a resort among a set of competing skiing resorts. Jacobsen et al. (2008) group destination attributes into three main aspects: ski, price and destination/facility attributes. They discuss the influence of the skiing skill level on the information source selection and by this on the destination’s perception. This information is the basis for the perceived destination image and by this an important factor during destination choice. Komppula and Laukkanen (2016) analysed five Finnish ski destinations based on destination management organizations (DMOs) information available in the market to describe their profiles. Using these profiles, the customer perception of the skiing resorts was investigated. They found four factors dominating the resort perception: downhill skiing services, cross-country skiing services, restaurants and social life, and spa services. Furthermore, they showed the congruence between the information offered by the DMOs and the perceived image.

A more general view of Finnish ski destination choice was taken in a segmentation study by Konu et al. (2011). The segmentation was based on personal (gender and age) and situation-specific characteristics (day trip/overnight stay, companionship). By this, they showed that ski destination visitors are not necessarily only focused on skiing or snowboarding. The segments are more diverse: passive tourists, cross-country skiers, want-it-all, all-but-downhill skiing, sports seekers and relaxation seekers. This shows that besides downhill skiing and snowboarding, markets for tourists preferring other activities during the winter season exist. Lindberg and Fredman (2005) discuss how destination attributes affect destination choice for other activities popular in North America and Scandinavia, such as snowmobiling and cross-country skiing.

Climate change is seen as one of the major global challenges in the twenty-first century. The latest report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC, 2014) highlights that costal zones and mountain areas will be affected by climate change more intensely than others. It is obvious that especially winter tourism in cold regions will be affected by higher temperatures and a change of precipitation. Using a discrete choice experiment, Unbehaun et al. (2008) show that Austrian winter sports enthusiasts consider a sufficient snow coverage as a key attribute when choosing a skiing destination. Furthermore, they found that the majority of Austrian winter sport enthusiasts will accept about 10% in additional cost for snow reliability as well as an up to 2-h longer journey to reach the skiing resort. Pütz et al. (2011) compare three Swiss destinations to show that snow reliability is one of the most important aspects of destination choice. Summing up, they state that in some cases, it may make economic sense to refrain from technical snowmaking. Their recommendation to ski resorts affected by climate change is to redirect their investment to all-year attractions or to snow independent winter products.

In a longitudinal study starting in the 1970s, Töglhofer et al. (2011) prove the short-term influence of weather conditions on tourism demand in Austrian ski areas. They show that in years with weak natural snow coverage, skiers fail to appear in nearby and smaller ski resorts. Furthermore, they prove that the installation of artificial snowmaking facilities, as an adaptation measure against climate change, has reduced this effect in recent years. They show ex post the effects of weather and climate change and related snow conditions on ski resort choice. Using discrete choice experiments, Pröbstl-Haider and Haider (2013) take an ex ante perspective to predict the influence of climate change on destination choice of cross-country skiers in Austria. They identify three segments of skiers with different reactions to climate change: fitness in nature (change of sports activity but not of destination), cross-country freaks and uncommitted (both with a high likelihood to move away). In further studies (Landauer et al., 2012), the methodology was transferred to cross-country skiing destinations in Finland. A comparison (Landauer et al., 2014) of the cross-country skier market in Austria and Finland revealed cultural differences. To Finnish cross-country skiers, the snow-covered landscape is an integrative part of their sports experience. Therefore, in Finland, the acceptance of artificial snowmaking is much lower than in Austria as this does not compensate the lack of snow in the landscape.

Besides destination attributes as moderating factors, motivational and emotional aspects (Goossens, 2000) play an important role for destination choice. Klenosky et al. (2000) use means-end relationship analysis to explain the importance of attributes influencing ski destination choice among active skiers by identified motivational factors. They identified six motivational aspects and related destination attributes: the variety of the ski slopes concerning length and steepness to fulfil the motivations fun and excitement as well as achievement. Grooming and snow coverage were seen as an important basis for personal safety while the social atmosphere including entertainment should create a feeling of belonging. Accessibility and travel time in reaching a destination, as well as an attractive price performance ratio, are again linked with fun and excitement as they guarantee a longer stay and more frequent visits. Alexandris et al. (2009) measured the motivation for skiing participation. They were able to identify eight motives: escape, social recognition, enjoying nature, excitement & risk, socialization, skill development and achievement. The different motives of skiers and snowboarders were analysed by Phillips and Brunt (2013). They showed significant differences in the motivation levels in the dimensions ‘get away’ and ‘relax’ among six British winter sports segments.

Alexandris et al. (2006) applied the concept of place attachment and place identity on Greek ski resorts. Place attachment refers to the emotional and symbolic relationships that resort visitors form with the resort’s recreational elements. Place identity has an emotional meaning and refers to ‘the symbolic importance of a place as a repository for emotions and relationships that give meanings and purpose to life’ (Patterson et al., 1992). They conclude that especially skiing and social events with a fun component lead to a high involvement and enjoyment of visitors as basis for emotional relationships.

Concluding the literature review, we predominantly found studies discussing winter tourism in the context of different types of ski sports, snow-based activities and related resorts. There is a general lack of research into winter tourism as a general phenomenon. No studies were identified delivering a fundamental explanation of motivation for a winter holiday trip and linked expectations. A further deficit was identified in the field of winter holiday choice sets besides winter sports destinations. Looking more specifically at skiing destinations, most studies were based on practitioners of winter sports or other snow-based activities. The demographically growing share of guests who do not practice sports, but nevertheless visit snow destinations, is neglected. An understanding of the expectations of a holiday trip to a cold destination in winter is fundamental for future product development and marketing.

Design of the study

In order to fill the identified knowledge gap, a study was conducted with the purpose of exploring factors influencing explicitly the winter holiday destination choice process. Most destination choice models (see Sirakaya and Woodside, 2005) follow the approach that traveller and marketing variables influence the awareness of destinations in choice sets. Traveller variables can be those describing social situation, connected lifestyles and value systems (Woodside and Lysonski, 1989). Influences by family, friends or a peer group are mentioned additionally by Woodside and MacDonald (1994). Furthermore, a traveller’s previous destination experience influences the composition of the destination choice set (Crompton, 1992). The marketing mix determines marketing variables concerning product, pricing, advertising and channel decisions. Thereby product attributes play a key role during destination choice (Morey, 1984). Furthermore, motives (Fodness, 1994) and emotions (Goossens, 2000) influence the destination choice as well as the underlying experience type (Oppewal et al., 2015). Based on these considerations, the following research questions were identified to understand winter holiday destination choice:

RQ1: What are the triggering factors (personal, motives and emotions, destination attributes) for travelling during the winter season?

RQ2: What are consumer expectations regarding winter holiday trips in general: What are their motives and related experience type (e.g. sports, relaxing,…) in general, and more specifically for Alpine destinations?

RQ3: Which destination types (coast, midrange mountains, cities, Alps) are part of the destination choice sets of consumers?

To explore these questions, a qualitative approach using a panel-based online forum was chosen. An online forum, also referred to as online focus group, is an internet-based, moderated and structured interactive group discussion. The forum members are online preselected participants answering and discussing different topics and questions or performing tasks such as uploading pictures or ranking alternatives. An online forum is usually led by a moderator who introduces new questions and tasks and leads the discussion. Thus, it bears a similarity to the technique of traditional (offline) focus group discussions but is transferred to the Internet. The location independence by using the Internet allows a broad range of participants to be covered, including individuals from remote areas (Brüggen and Willems, 2009).

Online focus groups can be conducted synchronously or asynchronously. While in synchronous focus groups participants and moderators/researchers attend and interact all at the same prearranged time, for example in a chat, asynchronous focus groups as in this study run over a certain period of time, enabling participants and researchers to log in and contribute at any time it suits them. The time flexibility and extended runtime given through asynchrony allow respondents to deal intensively with the topic and take as much time as they need while posting (Williams et al., 2012). Further advantages are cost and timesaving compared to face-to-face focus groups, anonymity and thus a potential reduction of social-desirable response effects (Matthijsse et al., 2015).

The participants of the asynchronous online forum were recruited from a Germany-wide online panel to get a sociodemographic representative sample concerning age, gender and family status. This also allowed the authors to cover all parts and types of Germany: urban and remote rural areas, regions in close proximity or large distance to the Alps. Only persons with travel interest during the winter season (November–April) were recruited. To ensure a sufficient share of in-depth information about expectations on a holiday trip to the Alps, about two-thirds of the participants were selected by fulfilling the condition that they can imagine visiting the Alps in winter. In the end, 60 persons registered and participated in the forum discussions. To incentivize the participation, four vouchers of a leading international online merchant with a value of 50 Euros were promised to those participating most actively and eagerly in the forum. This way the incentive was on a low level, and it can be assumed that the motivation of the forum members to contribute was mainly intrinsic.

The data collection process was carried out during a 10-day period starting end of September, which is the phase where people planning in advance start to think about the upcoming winter season and eventual holiday plans. Each day, two to three new threads or tasks were systematically posted and opened for discussion by moderators. Our three research questions were covered by the threads listed in Table 1.

Table 1.

Research questions and related threads.

Research question	Thread	Focus on
1	Everyday life November–March	Personal, motives, emotions
	Holiday trips November–March—general description, positive aspects	destination attributes
1 Alps	The Alps – general perceptions holidays in the Alps (general) – pictures, motivations	Personal, motives, emotions
2	Holiday trips November–March in the past -> positive memories, perfect holiday November––March	Destination attributes, expectations
	Reasons for holiday trips in November–March	Experience type and expectations
2 Alps	Activities (general) during winter holiday in the Alps Activities besides winter sports	Destination attributes and expectations
3	Dream destinations ‘no-go’ holiday November–March Holiday plans for coming winter season	Winter holiday choice set
3 Alps	Holiday plans for coming winter season Alps	Alps choice set

All previous threads remained accessible throughout the complete duration of the fieldwork. This meant participants were able to work on new topics each day but could also continue discussions in previous threads and comment on other respondents’ or the moderators’ posts. In total, participants entered 1732 posts containing about 140,000 words during the forum’s runtime as basis for qualitative analysis. Qualitative data analysis (QDA) with this huge amount of information was prestructured using MAXQDA, a software for computer-based analysis of qualitative data and texts (Oliveira et al., 2016).

After data import into MAXQDA 12 (VERBI Software, 2017), all threads were read and coded question by question following a grounded theory process as originally described by Glaser and Strauss (2008). During an open-coding process, tags were given to different phenomena encountered in the texts and categories developed to describe the relevant aspects identified in the forum discussions. After re-reading and comparing data and categories, codes and categories were refined and subcategories were built. Thus, recurring patterns were identified step by step, which enabled the development of theories regarding the various factors influencing the decision-making process of consumers.

Findings

Triggering factors for travelling during the winter season?

Motivation is one key concept to explain travel behaviour (Cohen et al., 2014). Consumer perception of the winter months and the related general mood and emotions of people during this time are expected to influence travel motivation and by this the decision-making process. In order to achieve information on this emotional basis for holiday trips during winter, the online forum started asking the participants to describe their everyday life, feelings, likes and dislikes between November and March. In particular, the change between outdoor activities in an autumn/winter atmosphere, with the last sunny days, fresh air and the beginning phase of quietness and retreat in cosy homes is perceived as special. Almost half of the forum members describe this phase as a time of positive and reflective moods.

This is a time I really love. It’s getting cold outside and you nestle down on the couch in a blanket with candlelight and enjoy the atmosphere. (ID 21)

However, also negative feelings start coming up, especially in context with the German weather. Darkness, lack of sun and light, cold temperatures and rainy weather are mentioned as factors leading to a grey and dull atmosphere especially in November and December. For many, this results in depressive feelings which are increased by further extrinsic aspects as weather-related mobility restrictions (delayed public transport, traffic jams), a hectic rush in the cities and negative and aggressive mood of other people.

I go to work – it is dark. I come back from work – it is dark. Somehow the whole day is dark and misty. The cold weather is depressing, I’m tired and lose my good mood. I’m annoyed by the icy streets and speeding car drivers, I’m annoyed by delayed trains, because I have to wait in the freezing cold and end up going by car. (ID 43)

Christmas time is extensively discussed in the forum and perceived as a positive outstanding phase of the winter season by most of the participants. The special cosy atmosphere created by lights, candles, decoration and activities such as baking cookies, going to Christmas markets, planning the Christmas holidays and buying presents are reported. Furthermore, typical smells and treats such as cookies, tea and gingerbread are mentioned. These aspects, together with cosy, peaceful hours with families and friends at home, are factors to distract people from the grey atmosphere. In contrast, some people also perceive this time as stressful and hectic. Negative aspects mentioned are excessive consumption, Christmas shopping stress, crowded shops, stressed and unfriendly people in the cities and busy times at work.

From November until Christmas there is hectic everywhere. Christmas presents, Christmas dinner, who is visiting whom and when, crowded cities, annual accounting operations and closing reports in the companies. (ID 52)

The beginning of the new year is often regarded as a turning point. Many people describe a euphoric mood and new drive as days are getting longer and spring is about to come. They start making plans for the year, including holiday plans, and are optimistic and curious about what the year will bring. For winter enthusiasts, it is the peak season which is positively associated with cold and fresh air, snow, icicles and outdoor activities as sledding, going for a walk in the snow or skiing holidays.

I associate January with cold air, snow and sledding. (ID 47)

As opposed to that, almost one-third of the forum members is fed up with the long winter period. To them spring still seems far away and with cosy Christmas time and holidays being over they feel completely exposed to the cold and grey winter and thrown back into the dull routines of everyday life.

The time after New Year to me is the most uncomfortable season. It’s a horrible time, pretty grey and depressing as beautiful Christmas time with all the holidays is over. And from now on, it’s cold and daily routine again. (ID 38)

These different moods and emotions have a direct impact on travel motives and holiday preferences during the winter season. Asking the forum members why they would go on holiday trips and what were the most important aspects to them when travelling during this season, the connection gets visible. Holiday trips during winter, for many, are an escape from cold, grey and dull winter weather. The desire for sun and good weather is discussed as one major travel motive. It is often explicitly mentioned together with warm weather and beaches, showing that a great part of the panel favours sun and beach holidays in warm destinations.

I can escape from cold and grey Germany. I can roast in the sun, while others need to work back home in cold and wet Germany…I search warmth and relaxation at another place. (ID 43)

Nevertheless, sun as compensation to the grey weather is not necessarily connected with warmth and therefore must be seen as an independent factor:

…I am not a person who loves to travel to a warm region in winter…I prefer the mountains during that time of year…the perfect trip would be sunny winter weather and snow. (ID 48)

Another strong driver is the wish to get away from daily dull, negative winter atmosphere:

Predominantly we want…to get away from grey and dull daily routine in Germany…(ID 14)

In the Alpine context relaxation, recreation and spending time with friends and relatives are often mentioned in combination with winter-specific situations, activities and places as cosy Alpine huts with an open fire and regional food. This is often connected with the wish to experience real winter. People associate snow-covered landscapes and villages, cold and fresh air with a special romantic winter atmosphere, which is essential to their experience of the winter season. By this, they follow the picture of Heidi’s world (Spyri, 1881), which also is a synonym of a sustainable life: respecting nature and living from its resources.

The wish to escape from daily routine is not winter specific as many other motives mentioned by the forum members and well described since the late 70s (e.g. see Crompton 1979; Dann, 1977; or Fodness, 1994): relaxing, recreation, exploring new things, new experiences, getting to know destinations and cultures are expressed repeatedly, as are meeting other people and sharing activities with the family. But no publications were found discussing travel motivation explicitly in the context of the influence of the atmosphere of a season. The findings of this study imply that beside the daily routines, the specific atmosphere in winter has a strong additional influence on the overall motivation to leave for a holiday trip.

Woodside and Lysonski (1989) showed that ‘destinations in consumers’ consideration sets are linked more with positive associations than are destinations found in other mental categories’. The findings about everyday life in winter as well as winter dream holiday trips show that there are similar associations shared by most discussion forum members: the escape from dull and negative winter atmosphere in the German winter. By this, each destination offering a counter world can get part of the destination consideration set. A further result is that the association of real winter splits the group into two clearly separated types: those who hate the cold and those who love a real winter atmosphere with ice and snow. This leads to very different consideration sets during the destination choice. Looking at the very clear negative statements of discussion forum members when describing the cold and grey winter weather in Germany, it seems very likely that they will add cold winter destinations immediately to their excluded set as described by Crompton (1992). Within the excluded set, they will transfer them direct to the inept or reject set. As their associations with daily winter life are unpleasant personal experiences caused by cold weather, they project them to all types of destinations with cold winter weather.

Winter destination attributes and related expectations

Looking at the expectations of forum members preferring warm and sunny destinations, almost no winter-specific aspects appear. Good warm weather, sun and beach, nice accommodation, good food and friendly service were identified in the relaxation-oriented group. However, several forum members point out that the winter season is in particular attractive to them due to lower prices and less crowded destinations. This aspect, though, is not exclusively linked to warm destinations, but also to cities, cold destinations in Germany and in one case even to the Alps.

This time of the year, except for Christmas time, is good for travelling. There are far fewer people, prices are acceptable, and you still have a good variety of hotels available. (ID 113)

Moreover, specific winter destination attributes were mainly found for cold destinations, primarily mountain areas. To one part of the forum members, the claimed destination attributes are linked to typical winter activities. On the one hand, there is a smaller group of panel members who describe a predominantly sports-oriented holiday trip, particularly focused on skiing. Their main goal is to spend most of the time on their skis or snowboards, take a lunch break at an Alpine hut and then finish the day with après ski, party or a visit to the spa and a decent dinner.

During my winter holidays…I primarily go skiing. Besides the runs this also includes breaks at various alpine huts, where you relax and eat and drink with nice company. At the end of the skiing day you enjoy a sundowner or sometimes also more than one. Here you immediately make contacts with many cheerful people. (ID 61)

I love skiing…Great food during breaks, enjoying the sun, après ski or relaxing in the sauna or pool. (ID 105)

On the other hand, there is a slightly larger group preferring more relaxed and less sport-driven winter holidays: going for a walk, hiking, snowshoeing, sledding, sitting in the sun, enjoying nature, taking a rest in cafes or Alpine huts, having good food and drinks or visiting a spa. Traditional winter sports as skiing sometimes is mentioned, but is not the main objective. People like to choose from different activities from day to day and often mix active components with more passive relaxing activities.

To me relaxing and recreation during winter holidays is very important. It works best by doing activities such as cross-country skiing, hiking, going to a sauna or swimming. A perfect winter holiday definitely consists of a mixture of activities, recreation and unspoilt nature. (ID 48)

Almost everyone in the forum describing their winter holidays in mountain or Alpine destination points out the marvellous landscapes, magic mountains and pure nature as important attributes of Alpine destinations. However, for the relaxation-oriented group, pure nature seems to be more relevant. Several threads underline the importance of unspoilt, unique landscapes, often perceived as a source for rest and area for relaxing activities. This leads to a rejection of large ski resorts:

…the mountains should not be rugged by slopes with snow cannons visible everywhere…Of course, ropeways are needed even though they are not pretty. But they enable me to get onto the mountains and enjoy the panorama. (ID 47)

Especially many non-skiers critically reflect the lack of sustainability of the ski resorts. They argue that large hotels at skiing resorts, slopes, large-scale infrastructure as ropeways, cable car stations and parking areas destroy the mountain nature. Energy-wasting snow cannons and artificial snowmaking are to them symbols of ecological destruction caused by the skiers. They wish for a pure and untouched Alpine nature:

…I am afraid that skiers do not think about that [sustainability].…they only want to have fun, perfect groomed slopes, enough lifts without queues, a lot of snow, even if it is artificial. Then, there are the hikers, who prefer nature, who wish that everything is untouched and only few violate the natural flow of flora and fauna in mountains. (ID 47)

People wish for typical winter scenery, often referred to as mystical and idyllic, and many take it for granted that the Alps offer snow and winter atmosphere.

It is also the winter atmosphere that makes me want to go to the Alps. By that I mean the snow-covered landscape. With snow, everything seems calm and muted. It’s a special atmosphere you don’t find everywhere. (ID 48)

Further attributes are local food, cosy mountain huts and restaurants and comfortable, high-quality accommodation. Most forum members predominantly wish for typical Alpine places, with elements as stoves, homely rooms, cosy places to gather with friends or family and, ideally, a spa area.

For me cosy accommodation is important, with stove, reading corner,…, so that I can just relax. A jacuzzi would be great, preferably outside, with a sauna next to it. (ID 100)

These findings are in line with the results of the case study of Franch et al. (2008) describing the response to new motivations and expectations of tourists in the Dolomites region. They show a new market segment of winter holiday guests in Val di Fassa (Dolomites, Italy) which is highly sensitive to the protection of the environment as well as local culture and expects an authentic vacation experience.

As regards the special needs of the two types described above, skiers have particular expectations concerning the skiing area, as regards to size, diversity of slopes, snow security and availability of Alpine huts and restaurants. In this context, again the desire for typical Alpine, rustic atmosphere is expressed, combined with traditional local food. For many of them, après ski and party play an important role and respective facilities and bars are demanded.

In addition to skiing, alpine huts and après ski in the evening are most important. You shouldn’t miss a few glasses of wine, good music, dancing, nice people and lots of fun…(ID 80)

The group of the more versatile-oriented panel members, however, requires options for a variety of activities and relaxing. To them the atmosphere plays a more important role. Attributes mentioned are fresh and cold air, idyllic winter wonderland as scenery for recreation and activities as hiking, diverse restaurants and Alpine huts offering cosy atmosphere. Nevertheless, snow and winter scenery seems to be the most important attribute of Alpine destinations in winter. When asked about their feelings and reactions to unexpected snowless holidays, most of the forum members describe a feeling of disappointment. For a small group, mainly skiers, this situation would even resemble a catastrophe. The discussions showed that without snow an essential and irreplaceable element of winter holidays would be missing, ruining the atmosphere.

Without snow it is not real winter holidays but just holidays with cold temperatures during the winter months…the whole winter atmosphere is missing. I can also get cold without snow at home. (ID 52)

Despite their disappointment, the majority, including those mainly focusing on skiing, would try to make the best of it and look for alternative activities. Hiking, sightseeing, enjoying nature, visiting cities, relaxing in hotels, going swimming or to a spa and also snow-independent winter activities such as ice skating or torchlight hikes are mentioned. Only two persons would leave at once, two stated they would look for another destination for their next winter holidays. Another small group of participants wouldn’t mind snowless holidays, referring to the various opportunities the Alps offer.

These results from the German source market are very similar to those in other studies and markets as from Unbehaun et al. (2008) in Austria, Landauer et al. (2012) in Austria and Finland, Rutty et al. (2015) in Canada or Falk and Hagstein (2016) in Sweden in the segment of ski sports enthusiasts. A new aspect, not yet discussed in the literature, is the role of natural snow coverage as an attribute to increase the value of landscape perception and winter atmosphere experience.

Winter holiday trips choice sets

The identification of the survey participants’ winter destination choice sets would have needed a longitudinal approach covering the early travel planning stage as well as the late decision-making stage (Um and Crompton, 1990). The online forum approach with a 10-day runtime was only suitable to get an insight into attributes influencing the consideration set and the inept set (Woodside and Lysonski, 1989). In a first thread, the forum participants were asked to describe a winter dream holiday trip and related dream destinations. This allowed us to identify the most important attributes and motivations behind a theoretical perfect trip influencing the consideration set and follows the extended choice set approach proposed by Decrop (2010). In another thread, no-go destinations or no-go types of trips were discussed, to get hints about excluding criteria setting up the inept set. Finally, a thread about the travel plans for the next winter season including already chosen destinations, travel intensions but also personal limitations influencing the destination choice was opened.

The discussion of dream destinations confirms the findings about motivation and linked emotions for winter travelling. Nearly half of the forum participants describe a long stay at a warm and sunny beach destination, with the Maldives, the Caribbean, Thailand or Hawaii being mentioned most often. The dominant attributes are white lonely beaches with small palm huts near the turquoise sea, a mild climate, good local food and a secure environment:

In the winter I am always cold. I would like to travel to a warm place with constant 25 degrees Celsius…I always dreamt of the Maldives, all the tiny islands, the beautiful pavilions in the water…(ID 104)

Furthermore, in several posts, cruise trips in warm destinations are mentioned as favoured trip. People enjoy the service on board and the multifarious options to visit different places each day. Nearly half of the other forum members can be subdivided into three groups of similar size. First, the real winter enthusiast favouring destinations in Canada, Alaska, Scandinavia or northern Scotland. Pure nature, wilderness, northern lights, wild animals, a deep snow-covered landscape or ice-covered lakes are attributes describing these destinations. Second, a group of travellers interested in nature and culture selecting a warm dream destination like Kenia, South Africa, South America, Australia or New Zealand. Finally, people enjoying trips to large metropolises such as New York, San Francisco or Paris or smaller cities like Saint Petersburg (Russia), Prague or Vienna. Often these dream city trips take place in the Christmas season or for New Years and are connected with shopping, party or cultural activities:

…celebrating New Yeaŕs Eve in Paris and experiencing the glamour and specific flair of the large city with the Eiffel Tower and Champs Elysees…shopping and visiting the precious designer boutiques…ambling along narrow streets and mystic squares…(ID 58)

Only two forum members noted an Alpine destination as their dream holiday favourite, with one describing skiing as his personal dream activity in winter. Nearby destinations, German cities or the German coast were never mentioned as a dream destination. Asking for no-go destinations and reasons why certain destinations are inept, the coasts of North Sea and Baltic Sea are mentioned several times because of the harsh climate in winter. In general, rainy grey weather or extreme cold are no-go destination attributes for the majority of forum members. Furthermore, destinations that are not really warm during the winter, for example most of the Mediterranean islands, get excluded as winter destinations. Additionally, some forum members pointed out that a change of the climate zone during winter is stressful and causes chills. They exclude long-haul warm regions during the winter season. Furthermore, overcrowded mass tourism destinations with roistering party guests, as can be found in different Balearic Islands in the summer, are excluded from the consideration set. This is mentioned several times in combination with skiing and Alpine ski resorts:

…skiing is not at all an option to me…I do not like these masses in the ski resorts…everywhere crowds, crammed hotels,…drunken people on the slopes…I need calmness and relaxation in my holidays and not stress. (ID 43)

For similar reasons, cruises are mentioned in a few threads as no-go travel type. A further no-go destination attribute is a negative security image. This is mentioned especially referring to Arabic and northern African countries. But both aspects are not specific to winter tourism.

The winter holiday dream destinations can be divided into three groups: the largest group consists of destinations which are far away from real options. Decrop (2010) describes such destinations as those ‘that are considered as ideal places for traveling or vacationing but are permanently unavailable because of enduring structural inhibitors’. Many of them are destinations that do not have a specific link to the winter season. Others, especially those with city trip destinations, have a Christmas or New Year’s Eve background. And finally, about one-third focus on winter activities. Again, most of these winter destinations are part of a dream set in the awareness consideration set chain (Crompton 1992; Decrop, 2010) of German consumers, for example skiing in the Canadian Rocky Mountains.

When asked in October for concrete travel plans within the next 5 months, most answers differ from the dream destinations described above. Personal factors such as the available travel budget, job restrictions, the requirements of family members or visiting friends and relatives, change the consideration set. In general, predominantly domestic destinations or destinations in neighbouring countries are now mentioned. Lower altitude mountainous regions such as the Erzgebirge, Harz and the Black Forest, the Baltic Sea or German cities as Hamburg, Munich or Nuremberg are reported as concrete destinations. Most forum members underlined peace and quiet as an important criterion for selecting these domestic destinations. Nevertheless, about one-quarter intends to visit long-haul destinations. Here, the main focus is set on nature-based adventure and getting to know culture, whereas for hypothetic exotic dream destinations relaxing was the dominant aspect. Finally, about one-fifth report that they will not travel the coming winter.

Only nine forum members mention mountain or Alpine destinations as part of their firm plans for the coming winter. Out of this small group, three are looking for a ski resort and underline that skiing holidays are not only sports but also a fun trip:

…during the day we practice downhill skiing, in the afternoon we want to meet nice people while enjoying a Jaegertee [note of the authors: a strong alcoholic tea with fruits offered in Austria in mountain bars and restaurants] and in the evening, we want to party…(ID 61)

Several participants are not focused on skiing. They intend to enjoy the winter atmosphere by hiking, snowshoeing, sledding or just relaxing while reading or playing games with their kids. Even though they book a stay in a large ski arena as the Zillertal (Tirol), they do not intend to ski:

I will go to Finkenberg/Zillertal…they have great toboggan runs which are so much fun…at the valley bottom it’s fantastic to go snowshoeing…during Christmas time everything is illuminated by countless lights from the bottom of the valley to the summits…this slows down the hectic time and puts me in a Christmas mood. (ID 66)

To this second group, the size and quality of the skiing facilities are not relevant for the destination choice. They describe an Alpine scenery with a silent and untouched nature, regional food and authentic people, all elements of sustainable tourism approaches.

These findings underline that mountain regions as winter holiday destinations are in the majority of cases not part of German consumers’ awareness sets. Furthermore, in those rare cases where they intend to travel to an Alpine destination during the winter season, a larger part of them are not interested in winter sports activities. Looking at the results of our literature review, it must be stated that there are only very few publications (e.g. Franch et al., 2008) discussing this part of the Alpine winter market.

Conclusions and implications

Many Alpine winter destinations suffer from stagnation or decline of arrivals and decreasing occupancy rates. The aim of this study was to get a general understanding of German consumer motivation and expectations and influences on winter travel decision-making in order to create a basis for future product development in Alpine regions. In particular, we wanted to know which winter-specific factors existed compared to the other seasons and how these influence the travel decision and destination choice process. We designed a qualitative study using an asynchronous online discussion forum, starting with a description of everyday life of Germans in winter, to understand catalysts to travel during the winter season. Next, we turned the discussion explicitly to travelling in winter, regardless of the destinations that were reported, and finally focused on Alpine destinations. In contrast to previous research which focused on snow or skiing, we started with a more general focus to get a comprehensive picture of consumer expectations and destination choice sets throughout the study.

Looking at the main triggering motives stimulating Germans to travel in winter, the results show a dominant influence of the weather and atmosphere in the period of November to March. Three elements among the triggering motives are weather factors: low temperature, high humidity and short days with a lack of daylight and sunshine. Especially in urban areas, these months are linked with the colour grey. As a result of climate change, real winter atmosphere is an exceptional occurrence during this period, and in the rare cases of snowfall, the snow turns to grey slush almost immediately. All these elements make many people feel either depressive or they tend to get aggressive due to their dissatisfaction. Therefore, the escape from the weather and dull atmosphere as parts of daily life (Larsen, 2008) in winter is the central catalyst for a holiday trip.

This is confirmed by the choice set of hypothetic dream destinations, composed primarily of exotic, warm, and sunny locations like the Caribbean or Maldives which combine contrasting climates and attitudes to those at home. When describing these exotic places, four other elements very often can be found: loneliness, calmness, slowness and convenience. These are aspects of a crowded, stressful and complex daily life. Therefore, the fact that Alpine winter destinations do not show up as dream destinations is not at all astonishing. Winter sports resorts, as well as winter sports themselves, are usually much closer to everyday life than to a complementary world. Obstacles such as crowding and complex preparation as well as other stress factors are inconveniences increasingly only accepted by true skiing enthusiasts, especially in the younger age group.

Sunshine and a positive relaxed atmosphere are the two triggering factors for winter holiday travel where Alpine regions can compete. Sunshine in a snow-covered landscape is unique because of the brightness and contrast against the blue sky. The customers’ understanding of positive relaxed atmosphere is often like the stereotype of Heidi’s world (Spyri, 1881): a cabin in the woods, simple yet delicious food, authentic and friendly locals who love and respect nature and animals, while living the hard, simple and happy life. This scenery is the opposite of the palm hut on the white sand beach by the turquoise sea with locals living from fishing. Products covering the atmosphere of this scenery exist or can be created, but only in places free from the pressures of mass tourism. There is a direct link to sustainable tourism here, described in many different ways by the non-skier group. Slopes with snow cannons, high capacity ropeways and après ski open air discotheques are not compatible with this type of product, which is highly attractive to non-skiers with their wishes to escape the grey and dull winter. Looking at the current core products and communication of Alpine winter sports resorts, the overall dominant pictures present ski sports scenes. This study presents the hypothesis that these products and related promotion pictures are not suitable to attract non-skiers and relaxation-oriented winter guests.

Even though the current winter core product of most Alpine destinations is skiing, demographic and climate change (Steiger, 2012) will force destination marketers to develop and offer alternative products. This means first to offer products fitting the expectations of non-skiing guests. As these guests are in favour of unspoiled nature and authentic experiences, there is a need to create separated calm areas with hiking trails and mountain huts besides the crowded ski circus. Furthermore, Alpine winter destinations have to adapt their communication and promotion strategies. Many of them put scenes from winter sports in pure snow-covered landscapes into the first line of their communication. Even though all these pictures are taken on marvellous sunny days, the message in front is the skiing and winter sports experience. The study shows that the majority of the winter market in Germany is non-skiers. Therefore, a second communication line addressing those consumers who do not intend to indulge in winter sports is highly recommended. There the key messages should be peace and calm, authenticity and a bright, sunny and positive atmosphere.

The study underlines the importance of snow in the mindset of consumers when discussing a winter holiday trip to mountain areas. The prompt switch of skiers to other ski resorts or the abandonment of skiing with lack of snow has already been shown by several studies (Pröbstl-Haider and Haider, 2013; Rutty et al., 2015; Töglhofer et al., 2011). The sensitivity of relaxation-oriented winter guests to a lack of snow is an open field of research. Because of climate change, the future of many Alpine destinations will be recurrently faced with landscapes characterized by snowless valleys and only high-altitude snow-capped peaks. The discussion in the online forum showed that snow is a very important and specific element of an Alpine winter destination and that people want to have a real snow experience. But it was not so clear whether snow coverage of the entire landscape was a must. Even if snowless valley bottoms are considered acceptable, the consumer expects the creation of true winter and snow experience areas on top of the mountains. These should be separated from the mass ski circus and offer options for soft winter activities, such as a walk to the next mountain hut, short snowshoeing hikes, snow playgrounds for children or simply a good old-fashioned snowball fight.

Hence, our study is a first contribution towards getting a more comprehensive understanding of the triggering factors of winter season holiday trips. The economic pressure of the billion Euro winter sports business has led to an extreme focus on this field. The huge market of non-skiers has been ignored up to now. This study shows the need for further research to create a more solid basis for future strategy development of Alpine destinations and to enlarge their portfolio for the non-skier market.

Limitations

As our study is based on data from the German source market, the transfer of results to other countries and regions is limited. Using a qualitative approach, it serves as a first contribution to the understanding of consumer preference building, but not for in-depth analysis of the quantitative and detailed regional differences. Moreover, the small sample size did not allow for a more differentiated analysis regarding sociodemographic criteria. As regards the method of the online forum, the authors are aware of certain limitations related to representativeness, such as needed web affinity of participants (Matthijsse et al., 2015). Moreover, missing face-to-face contacts require a high level of cooperation and motivation of the respondents as well as continuous and professional moderation. In this regard, however, it showed that the topic of the study, ‘holidays and travelling’, was motivating and led to a high level of cooperation. Nevertheless, we observed a tiring effect during the 10 days of the open forum. The number of posts decreased in the last days as some forum members disappeared. This might also lead to some further limitations of the informative value of the results.

Footnotes

Acknowledgements

The authors thank Patrick Bearden and Patricia East for providing feedback on previous versions of the manuscript and Raimund Ludwigs for his support structuring and coding the online posts.

Declaration of conflicting interests

The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Funding

The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: This research was supported by the Bavarian State Ministry of the Environment and Consumer Protection Grant number TUF01UF-66836.

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