A downhill struggle

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Austria’s Gastein Valley is an emerging ski and spa hotspot.

Last year was something of a wash out for the world's skiing fraternity due to a global lack of good snow.

Many skiers reached their destinations in Europe to find that the resorts were still surrounded by green valleys or grey drizzle, but this season promises to make up for last year's shortcomings.

"It was a wet summer in Europe so that means a good winter for snow," promises Emirates Holidays destination development manager, Europe and the Americas, Marco Heinrich.

"Last year there wasn't any snow, which is unheard of, so it can't happen again this year."

Emirates Holidays has launched an 80-page brochure featuring the hottest new ski destinations on the market; Banff and Lake Louise and Whistler in Canada, as well as the usual suspects - Austria, Switzerland, France and Italy - in Europe.Lebanon is also back in the brochure - omitted last year due to the political situation in the country, as well as consquential capacity constraints.

There are four pages of vital ski and hotel information dedicated to the destination, which act as a handy selling guide for agents.

The brochure includes five hotels in Lebanon that cater to a variety of tastes, depending on whether the clients want to stay in a hotel in the mountains or base themselves in the nearby capital Beirut explains Heinrich.

"Some customers opt to stay in the city and take day trips to the ski area. Very few stay in the mountain resort itself. There is also limited availability in the mountain resorts," he says.

"Lebanon is always more like a trial run, especially for people from the region who might not have been skiing before. Everything is very familiar, particularly the language, which gives them the confidence. At the same time, they can just go for a day or a weekend to see if they like it."

Ski resorts and slopes are located in the Faraya - Mzaar area to the east of Beirut, which sits at an altitude of 1850 metres, meaning that visitors can almost be guaranteed of good snow throughout the season.

Because of the short flying time from most destinations in the Middle East, Lebanon is a perfect country for people who want to try skiing for the first time, just in case of the "unlikely event" that they don't enjoy it, Heinrich adds.

The InterContinental Mzaar Lebanon Mountain Resort and Spa says things bode well for a healthy winter season this year and the property's inclusion in the Emirates Holidays brochure is likely to provide valuable exposure among clients that might not be familiar with the skiing facilities available in Lebanon, explains the hotel's marketing and communications manager Lina Matraji.

"Tourism has recovered and occupancy levels are returning to healthy level; we are expecting a high ski season this year," she explains.

"Guests mainly come from within Lebanon, the Middle East, Cyprus, GCC, the rest of the Levant and European expatriates living in the GCC and Europeans."

The hotel has direct access to the slope, as well as an école de ski (ski school) with professional ski instructors, three shops offering ski equipment, indoor swimming pool, squash court, a four-lane bowling alley, a gym, a cinema and a kid's fun centre.

The 1200m^² Les Thermes du Mzaar spa offers a range of après ski relaxation, with treatments including Balneotherapy and pressotherapy.

For something off the beaten track, agents could recommend one of the high-altitude resorts in Iran.

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