Mixed messages continue to confuse those interested in the state of the ski industry during the credit crunch with some consumer surveys saying that people are planning to skip their ski holiday so they can afford the ‘vital’ summer break, whilst others say the reverse – that skiing and boarding are an annual highlight and addiction which skiers and boarders would skip on other expenditure in order to afford.

There is also little or no data on how many people actually need to cut down on spending on summer or winter ski trips at all, just a general media assumption that, “Everyone is feeling the pinch” without any actual evidence that this is the case.

Gstaad at least has published an upbeat assessment of the season to date, which has been buoyed across Europe by the heavy snowfalls across the continent.

“The demand for hotel rooms and holiday apartments remains steady despite the financial crisis,” said a resort spokeswoman, “Over the Christmas and New Year holidays in particular, most hotels are booked out and only very few holiday apartments are still available.”

Anyone who wants to try their luck will get expert and friendly advice from Gstaad Saanenland Tourism. A new baggage transport system has been put in place by the Gstaad Hotelier Association and DHL so that your bags travel to your hotel in advance and you can travel light.

This Saturday, 13 December, two new chairlifts will start operating on the resort’s Chaltebrunne slopes.

- After historic pre-season snow deluge, most resorts are now open with great conditions.

- Heavy snowfall continues in Italy, but three die in past 48 hours due to excess unstable snow.

The unprecedented snowfalls in the Alps, Dolomites and Pyrenees over the past few weeks have eased slightly but the snow is still falling across most of Europe and most of the continent’s resorts are now open and boasting superb powder snow conditions.

France has been one of the main beneficiaries this week with Meribel posting the greatest accumulation over the past seven days of up to 1.5m (five feet). Reported snow: Les Gets ( 60cm/2 feet), Avoriaz and Morzine both 50 cm(20 inches), Val Thorens 35 cm (14 inches) and Le Grand Bornand (30 cm/12 inches). More snow is forecast and French resorts opening this weekend include Flaine, Les Arcs, Pra Loup and Valloire and Vars.

Italy, which saw the biggest falls last week, is continuing to see more snow with continuing to fall at present. As a result the country has now notched up the biggest current snow depths in the wall with Passo Tonale’s glacier topping the charts with a 370cm (over 12 foot) base. Over on the West of the country Alagna is not far behind with 315cm (10.5 feet). New powder is expected today for numerous Italian resorts, including Cervinia which has just received another 40cm (16 inches) and a further 100 – 120cm of fresh snow is predicted in the Dolomites in the next 48 hours, bringing the falls over the past two weeks to more than three metres (ten feet). The down side to all the snow is traffic problems and power lines being brought down as well as a serious risk of avalanche in the mountains. In the past 48 hours three people have died on Italy’s mountains with off piste and ski mountaineering especially dangerous.

Many of Switzerland’s leading resorts have been open for a month now having enjoyed great snow conditions through November. Bases are approaching three metres (ten feet) in many higher resorts. Saas Fee will offer free skiing in Kreuzboden-Hohsaas this weekend December 13th-14th. It has 80km (50 miles) of piste open from top to bottom. Zermatt has more than 100km (63 miles) of piste open including the Italian link to Cervinia/Valtournenche and up to 250cm (over eight feet) snow depth. Elsewhere Laax has 170cm (Nearly six feet) of snow on the glacier and St. Moritz180cm (Six feet) of powder with still more snowfall expected at the weekend.

In Austria the big resort opening this weekend is at Söll on the Skiwelt which will celebrate with a special winter opening package including two nights, ski pass for two days for Wilder Kaiser – Brixental and entrance to party area with live music from €129 per person. The country’s glacier ski areas have the most accumulated snow depth with 195cm (6.5 feet) on the Pitztal Glacier and the same at Sölden. Snowfall has eased in the past week with areas typically reporting 20-40cm (8 – 16 inches) of fresh snow in total.

Germany also has good snow cover with 140cm (nearly five feet) of snow at the Zugspitz, by Garmisch, which has had another 45cm (18 inches) of snow this week.

In the Pyrenees, which saw unprecedented huge snowfalls in late November, powder conditions are the norm in French, Spanish and Andorran ski resorts with snow depth peaking at around 190cm (over six feet) in resorts like Formigal and Cerler in Spain.

In Eastern Europe it’s a mixed picture with limited terrain open in Bulgaria where the weather has been rather warm.

In North America the picture has improved in some regions but remains challenging along the West Coast with unseasonably warm weather only allowing for limited opening on usually machine made snow.

It’s a better picture in Colorado where up to two feet of snow has fallen in the past week at resorts like Breckenridge and Vail. Steamboat was the latest to open at the weekend. East coast ski areas have also received more snow continuing their healthy start to 2008-9 – Vermont is doing particularly well with snow depths passing 90cm (three feet) at leading resorts such as Killington and very low temperatures helping to maintain snowfall and provide ideal snow making conditions.

In Canada ski areas in Alberta and British Columbia have also received more snow bringing depths typically up to 60-90cm (2 – 3 feet).

France, Italy and Switzerland are continuing to see huge snow falls. Similar falls are expected elsewhere in the Alps.

Italy, where Milan airport has been closed by snow, is expecting another 90-120cm (3-4 feet) of snow in the next few days. The country’s Passo Tonale ski area has the greatest snow depth of any resort in the world at present with a 370cm (over 12 foot) base.

It’s a similar picture across the Pyrenees, Dolomites too with most major resorts now open for the winter and reporting superb conditions. All the fresh snow has led to a high avalanche risk however and there have been several deaths in recent days so skiers and boarders are being advised to stay on piste.

In North America, temperatures are very low on the East Coast with resorts in Vermont reporting up to three feet of snow. The Rockies have also had snow but along the pacific coast temperatures are above the seasonal average and open terrain is limited.

Scandinavia is also well covered and even Japan has had heavy falls of up to three feet.

In Eastern Europe it’s a mixed picture with more northerly areas doing well but conditions rather warm in Bulgaria.