Italy does not have enough resorts

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   In the forthcoming season a number of players of the ski mountain market are expecting a considerable growth in demand for Italian resorts: in the number of Russian tourists they can catch up with ski mountain France. Experts relate it to the general growth of tourist flow from Russia as well as with the redistribution of demand between Alpine regions. The most popular places among Russian holiday-makers are Austria and France, and now Italy is gathering pace. ‘Last season the growth of travel flow was 70%’, believes Ilia Itkin, general director of ‘PAK group’, - This year we are expecting a 40% increase’. According to these forecasts, the volume of flights will also increase: for the high dates the number of flights to Verona and Turin will virtually double compared to the previous year: now the volume of the air transport is 700 seats a week, while a year ago it was 500. One of the seasons of such an interest to ski mountain Italy is relatively low prices – on the same level as Austrian, according to some specialists it is even 4-5% lower. Besides a large number of ski mountain stations in the recent time renewed the infrastructure. ‘Now the popularity of the South Tirol is growing’, says Boris Buryikin, director of ‘Ascent travel’. – ‘There are not only incredibly beautiful mountains, but also hotels and the excellent service’.
   It is not yet the full-scale competition to Austrian and French resorts. Italy is loosing to its Alpine neighbours due to a lack of ski hotels. ‘Part of the hotels is aiming at only Italians and is not being sold to the Russians’, notes Igor Chumachenko, leading manager of Italian destination of ‘Tour bazaar’ company. Besides there are very small number of Russian-speaking instructors in the Apennines as local authorities try to limit the inflow of foreign manpower. And it is not attracting holiday-makers who do not speak foreign languages.