Alpine Action Goes Out of Business

8th May 2024

Last modified on May 10th, 2024

Alpine Action operated ski chalets in Meribel and in La Tania in Les3Valles in France.

Its chalets slept between 6 to 14 people, although most slept between 10 and 12.

It was started by Dennis Heasman over three decades ago in 1993 and has been run recently by his daughter, Dionne.

Alpine Action was based in Shoreham near Brighton in Sussex, with registered offices in London.

A brief statement on its web site has announced the news:

Dear Clients

It is with much regret that we announce Alpine Action has ceased trading for chalet holidays as of 07-May-2024.
 
Despite our very best efforts to overcome the significant commercial challenges, we have come to the point where we can no longer continue.

If you’ve booked a holiday with us for the 2024/25 season, we will contact you soon to arrange a full refund of your deposit.

Thank you for your understanding. We offer our sincere apologies and best wishes to all of you. 

The Directors of Alpine Action.

Image c/o Alpine Action.

It follows the demise of a number of UK ski operators in recent years:

• Esprit Ski to cease trading at end of the season
• Powder White ceases trading
• Inghams is up for sale

The fallout from Brexit continues, with a rapidly changing ski holiday market business model.

The chalet market has been especially badly hit due to small margins and that it used to rely on use of cheap British staff.

They worked for long hours on low pay, but had the time of their lives.

That changed with Brexit and the end of the free movement of labour with EU and Schengen countries.

Crystal Ski Holidays, the UK’s largest ski operator,  currently has no chalet holidays on offer, with other players reducing their stock.

The ski agent Ski Line has reacted.

“Unfortunately, the changes brought about by Brexit to the ski chalet holiday sector has taken another great British business,” said the managing director of Ski Line, Angus Kinloch.

“Alpine Action was the second tour operator who agreed to appoint us as agents after I started skiline.co.uk in 1995.

““The owner Dennis Heasman and his daughter Dionne have been brilliant partners ever since.”

SNO has also reacted.

“We’re very sad to hear that Alpine Action won’t be with us next year, “ said Richard Sinclair of SNO Holidays.

“Dionne and the team have provided countless thousands of skiers with memorable catered chalet holidays for more than 3 decades.”

PlanetSKI advises that skiers who want to ensure complete financial protection should choose an ATOL protected holiday because then the whole trip, including the flights, is protected if one part fails.

Booking accomodation and flights separately carries the risk that one element fails and is refunded, but the other half can go ahead so it’s not refunded.

Some agents, like SNO, help customers book independent chalets with full ATOL protection, by adding flights and transfers under its own ATOL.

“You can count the ATOL bonded ski chalet operators that remain on one hand,” added a senior sales advisor at Ski Line, Mal Sargeant.

Industry watchers predict other British operators may follow as the market continues to change.

One ski industry insider, who preferred not to be named said to PlanetSKI, “I wonder who will be next?

“A few of the ski travel agents look very risky, if profits haven’t been made this winter, I can see more failures ahead.”