Despite the current financial crisis, some 2.2 million Italians are still expected to hit the slopes over the Christmas holidays, according to a study by the Trademark research group.
The study also found that although Italians will shorten the number of days they will be skiing and seek out bargain deals for hotels and ski passes, they will still end up paying 8-9% more than they did last year.
Thanks also to the early arrival of winter, with ample snowfall creating an excellent base on the slopes, 64.1% of sector operators expect this coming ski season to be surprisingly stable, while 24.8% think business will decline and 11.1% believe it will actually be a better season than last year.
However, while hotel bookings for the Christmas and end of the year holidays are almost all full, there is concern over January and February occupancy.
According to a report earlier this month, Italians will take shorter ski holidays this winter due to an 18.7% hike in prices for this kind of vacation.
The ADOC consumer group predicted that more and more Italians will transform their traditional 'white week' holiday into 'white weekend' breaks to save money.
Although fewer Italians may be heading for the slopes, more are reported to be opting for vacations at spas and tourist farms specialised in personal well-being or 'wellness'.
