Esprit Holidays Ltd Information

Over the next ten years the company developed its range of child care from a simple nursery provision to encompass, dedicated children's ski lessons, after ski activity clubs, child collection and delivery services, baby sitting and evening activity sessions for older children. It became acknowledged as the leading family ski company and many, indeed most, other UK ski tour operators had adapted a similar model, by adding child care to their existing programmes. Few of any size, however, followed Esprit's model to exclude adult-only bookings from their clientele, as Esprit did and still does. In the late 1980s the company introduced a summer programme focussed on 'soft adventure' holidays in the Alps, still with an emphasis on family holidays, incorporating child care and a range of outdoor activities in the mountains. Ownership changed in 2001, when Esprit was bought by Enigma Holidays and the following year another chalet operator, Ski Total, was acquired. Ski Total specialised in quality chalet holidays with a programme aimed mainly at the adult market, complementing Esprit's focus on families. Following this merger, the combined programme grew rapidly, the company becoming the largest independent ski tour operator in the UK. A Lapland Santa programme was introduced in 2004, offering short breaks to Finnish Lapland to allow families to visit Santa in the run up to Christmas and also enjoy the pleasures of winter activities like reindeer and husky sled rides and snowmobile outings.