Destination: Ski Travel
by John Hawks

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Experts advise from the start that selling ski vacations definitely requires expertise. Unlike other travel niches in which you can start slow and sell your clients without a lot of firsthand experience, you may find it difficult to gain the confidence of your skiing clients unless you've visited many of the popular resorts or you ski a lot yourself. The ski travel niche is notorious for self-bookers -- consumers who book new or repeat trips to many different ski destinations each year -- so you may stand out like a sore thumb unless you really know the product options firsthand.

If you pass this test, it pays to stay on top of the latest offers and wrinkles from leading ski resorts. This niche is very competitive, and resorts strive to announce new services or training options or deals every season. Make it a habit, for example, to monitor some of the leading ski travel Web sites on a regular basis. This list gives you a sampling, but it's by no means exclusive (you'll find hundreds of ski-related sites on the Internet with little trouble):

• skitravel.com
• www.skinet.com
• www.ski.com
• www.onthesnow.com
• gorp.away.com/gorp.activity/skiing.htm

Also, consider taking the Skiing Lifestyle Specialist (LS) course offered by the Travel Institute. In one class, you'll learn the different types of skiing, the demographics of skiiers, the major ski resorts, and marketing tips for closing more ski trip sales. Read the course description page for more information.

Want a quick refresher for the upcoming ski season? Click the links below to learn what's happening at some of North America's most popular ski destinations this winter (and, again, note that this list is not exhaustive):

• Colorado Ski Country USA
• Idaho's ski areas
• Ski Utah
• Vermont Ski Areas Association
• British Columbia's ski areas

(Stock photos)