Jasna in Slovakia is one of Central Europe's up and coming ski destinations.

Ski destinations in Eastern Europe are becoming more popular with UK ski travelers, according to a travel search site.

Skyscanner says it has seen a 154 per cent rise this year in searches for winter flights from the UK to cities east of the Alps. The most popular eastern ski hubs are Krakow in Poland, Sofia in Bulgaria, Bratislava in Slovakia and Ljubljana in Slovenia. The site believes that the trends reflect the search for better value skiing this winter in light of the recession and strong Euro.

Further evidence for this trend comes from a recent Skyscanner poll which asked skiers and snowboarders whether they would be taking a ski trip this winter. Fifty-seven per cent replied that they would, but of those, 65 per cent said they would be heading for a cheaper option than usual.

The trend seems to be at odds with industry figures for last season indicating that Eastern Europe was, if anything, declining in popularity.

“With an après ski pint now costing close to eight pounds in some French resorts, many skiers and snowboarders are looking for cheaper options this year,” said Sam Baldwin, Skyscanner travel editor and ski expert. ” Eastern Europe has suffered from a stigma. Some people imagine it to be all concrete communist blocks and dodgy food, but that’s completely inaccurate.

“Whilst it’s true that most resorts in Eastern and Central Europe are smaller than large interlinked areas in France or Austria, they do offer plenty of great skiing in attractive alpine towns, excellent value and an interesting cultural experience,” said Baldwin.

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