Leaving the EU could make your ski trip more expensive

If the UK votes to leave the EU next month, the cost of uni ski holidays could become more expensive.

Every year, thousands of UK students embark on a pilgrimage to the Alps to demonstrate their finest skiing, boarding and drinking abilities. With the comparative lack of snow in the UK, visiting our mountainous neighbours over in Europe are the only way we can show off our skills. This might get a lot more expensive if we don’t stay in the EU though.

If the pound falls, costs rise

The average base price of a uni ski trip at the moment is around £370, which usually includes accommodation, transport, a lift pass, and (if you’re lucky) a free t-shirt. However, if the UK leaves the EU, we’re expecting to see that price rise by at least £100.

To start with, the pound is likely to fall. It has already fallen against the Euro and the US Dollar since the announcement of the EU referendum, and this is only expected to fall even further if we were to exit. HSBC forecast that the value of the pound could fall up to 20 per cent: the pound is already at a seven-year low. 

So what does this mean to you? Well everything that we pay for in the Alps will be more expensive. For example, those €7 pints are not going to cost £5.50 anymore. That will be £7.00 that you could spend on one beer. Also, all the accommodation and lift pass prices will go up if the pound falls. This would mean your uni is very unlikely to be able to offer a ski trip for under £450.

Changes to travel insurance and employment contracts could also drive prices up

If the UK were to exit the EU, it’s as-yet-unknown whether we’ll also leave the EHIC scheme. In the worst case scenario, travel insurance into Europe will go up considerably, again making your ski trip even more unaffordable.

At the recent WTM Connect Ski Conference, it was found that “British operators could no longer legally employ British nationals in European resorts”. This effectively means the ski companies we’re all familiar with will no longer be able to employ UK reps in resort. Instead they will have to recruit from European countries, potentially having to pay them more, which, of course, will add even more to your ski trip.

Flights are likely to decrease in frequency and increase in price

Andrew Swaffield, the CEO of Monarch Airways, recently announced Brexit will seriously affect the price of UK flights to Europe. It will also mean the UK are less entitled to airspace meaning there would be fewer scheduled UK flights. This would make flying to the Alps is even more expensive and difficult than it already is.

Data roaming charges might make contacting friends more pricey

When you’re on a holiday with all of your mates, travelling across miles of mountains every day, contacting each other for a beer is a necessity. Luckily for us, data roaming charges have dropped recently thanks to the EU forcing the prices down, and they are scheduled to disappear by June 2017. However, if we were to leave, it’s unknown what would happen to these prices. It is likely that data roaming charges could go through the roof overnight meaning we’d all have to resort back to our walkie talkies… not ideal.

Import charges on ski equipment could go up

The UK is full of great deals for ski equipment thanks to the EU trading arrangements. It is currently possible to get great deals from the likes of MyRace; where you can get a pair of Atomic race skis for less than £200. However, without a certain trading arrangement if we were to exit the EU, there is no prediction of how much the import charges could be. The prices of ski equipment bought in the UK could rocket especially if the pound was to fall too.

Finally, when you finish your degree and are lost for what to do, the ski season that you always dreamed of could no longer be an option. If we were to exit the EU, this would mean getting jobs in Europe would be considerably more difficult. Katie Waddington, the director of Zenith Holidays spoke about how they currently employ non-EU chalet staff. She said that “the insurance premium we have to pay to cover them to work abroad doubles”. This would mean that UK employees would be far more expensive to employ and would mean you’re less likely to get a job.

Switzerland are not in the EU, and their recent employment laws meant it was not possible to pay staff with accommodation and meals, meaning everyone must be paid the minimum wage. This meant UK businesses in Switzerland were no longer able to afford to pay their staff. Consequently, according to Goran Zunic from Hotelplan UK, Switzerland lost €42 million from the UK companies leaving the country. This could potentially happen elsewhere, with UK companies no longer being able to afford business in the EU.

If you want to keep student ski holidays as cheap and as brilliant as they currently are, make sure you vote to stay in the EU. Make sure you register to vote by midnight on 7 June 2016.

You can do this at www.gov.uk/register-to-vote.