Winter Sports: A Niche Hobby for the Wealthy?

If you aren’t fortunate enough to live in or near the mountains, going on a ski trip is a costly endeavor. Between travel, accommodation, equipment rental and ski pass, the expenses of a skiing vacation quickly add up, which explains why skiing is widely considered a pastime for the wealthy, and justifiably so.

According to survey data from Statista Consumer Insights, respondents from the top 10 percent in terms of household income are at least twice as likely to participate in winter sports than those from the bottom 50 percent. The data also shows that skiing is much more popular in traditional winter sports nations such as Austria and Canada, where outdoor activities on snow and ice are deeply woven into national identity.