Where to Ski And Snowboard - Covid and Brexit force Ski2 closure

Covid and Brexit force Ski2 closure

20th August 2021, by Abi Butcher

Ski2 was known for its personal service and good-value ski holidays in Champoluc

The Covid pandemic has claimed another casualty in the ski world, with the closure of Ski2, the ski tour operator that has specialised in holidays to Champoluc for the past 22 years.

Ski2 founders Simon Brown and Roger Walker issued a statement yesterday afternoon announcing “We have, with a heavy heart, decided that there just isn’t a future for Ski2.”

They said: “The past 18 months have been traumatic for many of us…the travel industry has been just one business sector that has been hit extremely hard by the Covid pandemic and with continued uncertainty over free and unrestricted travel to Europe this coming winter (likely to be the third successive season affected) we have decided there isn’t a future.”

For more than two decades, Ski2 has specialised in offering good quality, value-for-money ski holidays and short breaks for all budgets in Champoluc in the Monte Rose area of Italy and more recently to Les Gets/Morzine in France. Friends and avid skiers Simon and Roger arranged private transfers for clients, provided lunch vouchers for mountain restaurants and even had their own ski school in Champoluc, offering a range of accommodation to suit all tastes and budgets. They were also specialists in running events on snow such as weddings and other special occasions.

But Ski2’s business model with the its high attention to detail came with “extremely high running costs” said the founders, and the ongoing uncertainty combined with required financial guarantees, along with the complications of employing UK staff abroad in a post-Brexit world left them, they said, with “no other option than to close the business for good”.

Where to Ski & Snowboard co-editor Dave Watts said: “This is very sad news. I have known Simon Brown and Roger Walker since before they started Ski2, when they were both working for schools tour operator Interski in Courmayeur.

“With Ski2, they ran a brilliant and very personal operation in Champoluc and I visited them several times and met lots of their very satisfied clients. It is awful that the combination of Covid and Brexit has brought down this excellent tour operator. The good news is that Simon intends to continue running holidays to Champoluc, Covid permitting – more news on that soon.”

Ski2 has refunded any money owed to clients for advance bookings, saying “every single client has been an integral part of our amazing adventure”, but adds that if anyone has any queries to contact Roger directly.

www.ski-2.com