Ideal ski destinations revealed in survey

WHERE in the world do Aussies dream of finding the white stuff? Definitely not Down Under, according to a survey.

AUSTRALIAN travellers are dreaming of finding the white stuff overseas instead of hitting the local slopes, a survey has revealed.

Less than 10 per cent of Aussies chose local ski resorts such as Thredbo and Perisher as their ideal ski holiday destination, according to a survey by accommodation website Wotif.com.

The overwhelming majority (44 per cent) chose Banff, Canada, as their top pick when hitting the slopes.

Coming in at second place with 26 per cent of votes was the Remarkables in New Zealand. Japan and Whistler were also favourites.

The strong Australian Dollar and a desire to see the world are among reasons that Aussies favoured international ski destinations, according to Wotif.

“Aussies are world travellers, so it’s not surprising that most of us would choose Banff in Canada as our ideal ski holiday destination," Megan Magill from Wotif said.

"It’s a world-class ski location and the strong Aussie dollar has boosted interest in international travel."

However she said there has been an increase in booking for local ski resorts such as Perisher, Thredbo and Mt Buller this year due to massive snow falls.

“While Aussies dream about the idea of skiing at Whistler or Banff, it seems they’re still open to hitting the slopes at home too.”

Meanwhile the survey also uncovered skiers’ worst fears about hitting the slopes.

Not surprisingly, 43 per cent said they were terrified of injuring themselves on the first day, with 21 per cent admitting they can’t ski and would rather stay in the bar, 20 per cent saying they have never seen the snow.

More than 12,000 people responded to the survey.

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