Regional Mountain Conference

Addressing the needs of unskilled skiers, i.e. those with low-to-medium proficiency, is becoming a critical challenge for the ski industry in emerging markets in Asia, Central and Eastern Europe, and due to socio-demographic changes in established markets in Western Europe and North America. Tourism studies have thus far lacked detailed analyses dedicated to this group of skiers. The research aimed to identify the motivational factors underlying ski resort choice among unskilled skiers and to evaluate the extent to which these factors serve as predictors of destination attachment within this segment of skiers. Empirical data were collected through a survey among a sample of 414 skiers. The obtained quantitative data were subjected to statistical procedures, including Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) and Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) based on Partial Least Squares (PLS) regression. The findings indicate that ski resort attributes such as ski infrastructure and ski services, complementary services, and the spatial context play a pivotal role in the choice-making process of ski destinations within the examined segment. An analysis of latent factors based on structural equation modelling unveiled that ski resort attributes imply its atmosphere and predict ski destination attachment among non-advanced skiers. The managerial implications of the study underscore the importance of place atmosphere and emotional attachment to ski resorts as factors that enhance the gravitational pull of unskilled skiers, promote their loyalty to the destination, and contribute to the sustainable development of ski resorts.