No refunds for holiday cancellations due to lack of snow

Frau Holle must have missed the ski holidays on her calendar this year. Because snow conditions leave much to be desired, especially in low-lying ski areas. Ski holidays that include accommodation in the mountains plus a ski pass are known to be expensive. Some people may ask themselves if they still have some money left in the event of a cancellation. But even with travel insurance, this can be difficult.

“Unfortunately, weather cannot be insured,” says Gian-Paul Civelli, 62, travel insurance sales manager at HanseMerkur. There are twenty reasons for cancellation, even with insurance, such as the death of a family member, an accident, or pregnancy and pregnancy complications. But bad weather is not one of them.

The weather is really great right now. Only snow is missing. But Cvelli doesn’t notice more cancellations than usual. “There is optimism. “People are hoping for the snow to come,” he says.

Guests show solidarity

Consumer protection also states that many guests show solidarity with the ski areas. “Sometimes there were more complaints than usual, but not in the audiences we expected,” says Sara Stalder, 56, director of consumer protection.

But there is a glimmer of hope: anyone who has booked a package tour still has a chance to get their money back. However, this always requires two services. For example, if you book a hotel with a ski ticket.

According to Stalder from consumer protection, you can apply for the Package Travel Act if the conditions are not met. “If I’ve booked a ski holiday but can’t ski because there’s no snow, that’s a reason to quit,” he says.

The same was true during the corona pandemic: Anyone who booked a trip to a quarantined city could cancel their vacation and get their money back.

Ski holidays are rarely booked as a package deal

Problem: “There are very few Swiss who book domestic ski trips at flat rate,” says Urs Wagenseil (60). He is co-chairman of the Center for Tourism Competence at the University of Applied Sciences and Arts Lucerne. Anyone who has individually booked accommodation, travel and ski tickets will likely no longer see their money, even if they cancel, unless otherwise stated in the booking conditions.

For individual bookings, you have to hope for the goodwill of the hotel or the ski area. It depends on the cancellation conditions of the individual operation, as reported by the Association Hotellerie Suisse. Guests should always read these terms carefully, as cancellations are usually only available free of charge during a certain period of time.

Consumer protection demands more reputation, especially from ski areas. The most common complaints are caused by accident or illness. “If you buy a five-day ski pass but break your leg on the second day, the cost of the ticket may be up to you,” Stalder says. “Because the terms and conditions of the respective ski area apply.”

It was already a matter of debate whether the risk of an accident increased due to bad snow conditions. Snow is definitely a challenge, but there are fewer people on the slopes.

stay flexible

Tourism lecturer Wagenseil advises not to cancel ski holidays right away, despite the absence of snow. “You don’t just go to the mountains to ski. You can also enjoy the mountain setting in the sun or go for a nice winter walk.” And ski areas can come up with a number of alternatives. “Don’t let your mood spoil you and stay flexible about activities.”

If you book a beach holiday in Greece in September and then have only rainy and stormy days, you are not entitled to a refund – if nature is playing differently than you would like, it’s just bad luck.

Source :Blick