The British wintersports market grew 3.4% year on year according to the Ski Club of Great Britain.

There are now more than 1.31 million people taking winter sports holidays from the UK.  The independent travel market saw the biggest growth –  9.7% in the past year.

The number of skiers and snowboarders taking weekend breaks has also risen but the seven-day holiday market continues to dominate.

France is still the top destination for British snow hunters – with 43% of all travellers - while Scandinavian countries saw their share grow. Andorra, Italy and Austria have all suffered a slight decline in British snow visitors.

“We are not surprised the market has risen again as many people are looking for more from their holiday," acknowledges Caroline Stuart-Taylor, CEO of the Ski Club of Great Britain, "and skiing or boarding fits the bill perfectly.

“It seems as though people are taking more than one snowsports holiday a year and hitting the slopes for a weekend break as well as skiing for a week. The Internet and no-frills airlines will have helped this, but at the same time the tour operator market continues to perform well. We have already seen snow falling in both Europe and North America this year, so the industry is looking forward to a good snow season”.

Seventy-three percent of those taking a snowsports holiday fly to their destination, a 1% increase. The train as a method of transport for UK skiers has seen a 1% rise after a fall the previous season, now making up 4% of the market. Motorcoach travel, travel by car and fly/drive combinations make up the rest of the transport figures.

Skiing continues to dominate the market and saw a 1% rise, taking market share from snowboarding, which now makes up only 16% of the British snowsports market. The other 6% are non-skiers or practice other disciplines including telemark, cross-country skiing and snowblading. Female participants grew 1% year-on-year and make up 44% of the UK market.

The annual research report also found that the average cost of a snowsports holiday in 2006-07 was £648.