Snow Dances Mark Good Signs For Ski Season
Wednesday, May 23rd, 2007
While the season in much of Europe and the US winds down this month, early signs are that the coming winter in the southern hemisphere could be a good one for those on a ski holiday.
Mike Smith, chairman of the New Zealand Ski Tourism Marketing Network, told the paper that the key to a successful ski holiday season is invariably the weather, with operators and skiers taking part in a number of traditional rituals in the hope of ensuring good snow this year.
"A range of activities go on off the mountain," he said.
"I don’t know that any of them work … snow dances, burning of old skis and all manner of things."
Earlier this month, George Hickton, chief executive of Tourism New Zealand, described expectations for the year as "high", with the number of early bookings for skiing holidayin the country reportedly exceeding those for last year.
