Summer is the prime season for ski resorts to lock in pre-season bookings for the winter ahead. So when June 2023 rolled around, Yves Dimier, Director at the renowned Val Cenis ski resort in the French Alps, was thrilled to discover Sensible Weather's Guarantees. 

He immediately recognized this weather protection as a game-changer that could give skiers the confidence to book early. After all, who wouldn't want the assurance that they can hit the slopes without worrying about poor conditions? With Sensible Weather's Guarantees, Dimier knew Val Cenis could alleviate that key concern.

"We were thrilled to be Europe's first ski resort to introduce the Weather Guarantee," said Dimier. "I knew our partnership with Sensible Weather would enhance our guests' experience, enabling them to focus on the joy of skiing while knowing it is protected against unpredictable weather conditions.”

One year later, as the ski season came to a close, Dimier felt confident that he made the right choice. Val Cenis sold over 1,400 Weather Guarantees, with no operational impact, and achieved their all-time skier day record during the 2023-24 season. It was a banner season for Val Cenis, and preseason bookings played a major role as guests knew they would be reimbursed for bad weather from their Weather Guarantees. 

“The Weather Guarantees exceeded my expectations,” said Dimier. “What we thought would be an innovative way to increase peace of mind and drive advance bookings, turned out to be that and so much more.”

How do Val Cenis' Weather Guarantees work?

Weather Guarantees for skiers reimburse ticket holders when precipitation (rain or snow) is present on the day they plan to visit the mountain.  Val Cenis offers Sensible Weather Guarantees through the ski resort’s ticketing platform Spotlio. Thanks to the integration between Sensible and Spotlio, Val Cenis could set up and display Weather Guarantees on their booking page within a few hours.

Sensible tailored these Weather Guarantees for the resort by:

• Making them available in French
• Offering them in local currencies
• Partnering with Val Cenis to understand what skiers would consider bad weather to determine what conditions should trigger the Guarantee

Based on this research, Sensible and Val Cenis agreed that guest trips should be protected if the daily forecast shows precipitation for over three hours. 

Even better, as with all Sensible Weather Guarantees, guests automatically receive their reimbursement without needing to cancel their trip, or having to file a claim. Skiers receive an automated text message each morning of their trip letting them know if the forecast qualifies for reimbursement. When the forecast is lousy, Sensible sends a text message to the skier to claim their funds via the method of their choosing.

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Top 3 benefits of Weather Guarantees for Val Cenis

1. Increased advanced bookings 

One of the main reasons Val Cenis launched Weather Guarantees in June 2023 was to encourage early bookings for the 2023/2024 winter season. They achieved this goal with a summer marketing push around weather protection that drove more advanced ticket sales than in previous years.

On top of increasing advanced bookings, Val Cenis broke its record for daily ski guests the winter after launching Weather Guarantees. The resort saw an all-time high of 735,000 skier days and more than 12,000 skiers on the peak day. While several factors contribute to daily guests, Dimier says Weather Guarantees played a major role in encouraging skiers to book in advance. 

2. Minimal operational impact

Over 1,400 skiers purchased Weather Guarantees for Val Cenis’ 2023/2024 season, and the resort only received two customer service calls about the protection. 

"We were pleasantly surprised that the Guarantees required no operational effort, especially since it was our first year using Sensible,” said Dimier. 

Sensible Weather fully handles customer care related to the Weather Guarantees for all its partners like Val Cenis. Yet, only 3% of the 1,400 Val Cenis skiers who purchased Guarantees reached out to Sensible for support. The overwhelming majority didn't need any assistance thanks to the platform's automated same-day reimbursements.

3. Improved guest experience

Val Cenis’ team was thrilled to see guests react so positively to Weather Guarantees. 

“I was with guests on the mountain when they got their text message and reimbursement from Sensible,” said Jean Christophe Gagniere, Val Cenis’ Head of Ski Patrol. “I was impressed by how the system instantly turned guests’ days around. They were clearly happy to get the notification.”

Val Cenis protects its skiers and its resort with Sensible

As an innovative resort always looking to stay ahead of the curve, Val Cenis took a chance on Weather Guarantees. The bet paid off with more early bookings, minimal hassle for guests and the resort, and happier skiers. 

“Weather Guarantees are so appropriate to our activity and so easy for guests to book and be reimbursed. I would never think of selling ski passes without proposing a weather guarantee in the future," says Dimier.

Curious about offering Weather Guarantees at your resort next season? Schedule a call with our team today.