Mountain industry sets date for UK-set Summer Alpine Sports Trade Exchange
The Summer Alpine Sports Trade Exchange (SASTEX) has been created in response to the growing demand – and opportunity – for activity based holidays and to help the mountain industry better understand and shape their offerings to new markets.
The one-day event will run Thursday 2 May 2019 at The Snow Centre, Hemel Hempstead, aiming to bring together mountain resorts, tourist boards, activity providers and equipment manufacturers, alongside tour operators, travel agents, retailers and media. SASTEX founder, James Gambrill, is launching the event the day after the well-established LISTEX (London International Ski Travel Exchange) summer edition.
The event includes a trade exchange, forum sessions and networking opportunities. Mountaineer and Adventurer Squash Falconer is the keynote speaker with other forum sessions including a look at the role of technology and how to help grow the overall market, taking place throughout the day.
James Gambrill founder of SASTEX, said: “Summer holidays in the mountains have long been a ‘well-kept secret’ in the general holiday market, but the increasing interest in health, wellness and activity, as seen in the huge participation growth in sports such as cycling and endurance events has begun to create a wider market for Alpine Activity holidays.
“Whilst some resorts have invested and pushed summer activities – such as mountain biking in Morzine or rock climbing in Chamonix, others are just now becoming aware of this enormous opportunity. With the hotels already there and minor adjustments in infrastructure – such as adapting ski lifts to carry bikes, mountain resorts can start to move to being true 4 season, 365 days a year tourism destinations.”
