Alpine ski resorts have welcomed a first blanket of snow, allowing some to open early and raising hopes of a bumper season despite the economic downturn.

In Verbier, Switzerland, where one in five tourists is British, more than a mile of ski runs opens today for weekend skiing. It is the earliest start to the winter season for 11 years thanks to the 50cm (19in) of snow that has fallen this week.

The drop in temperature across the Alps comes after a week of jitters in some resorts as people made the most of the unseasonably warm weather of up to 65F (18C) dressed in shorts and T-shirts.

Pierre-Yves Deleze, from Verbier Tourism, said: “There is a lot of excitement. This is very early indeed to open and due entirely to the great snow we have had. It’s too early to say how the season will pan out. The only constant seems to be that people are not booking two holidays as they have done in the past.”

In France, where 43 per cent of British skiers holiday, higher-altitude resorts such as Chamonix have had up to 50cm of snow, with more forecast.

Andrew Frawley, owner of Nomadic Ski, a holiday company in the resort, said: “Looking out across the mountains has been a fine sight this week. If the snow continues to fall there will definitely be some good bargains to be had in the traditionally quieter times of mid-December and early January.”

Last year 1.27 million Britons went skiing, a 6 per cent decline on 2007. Betony Garner, of Ski Club of Great Britain, said: “Without doubt the drop was due to the economic situation. It wasn’t because of the snow — last season was fantastic weather-wise.”

She added: “This snow has given a boost to bookings. This time last year bookings were slow. There doesn’t seem to be the same level of caution this year.”

According to the French Ski Lift organisation, the share of British skiers visiting France in 2008-09 dropped 3 per cent on the previous season to 21 per cent. With the pound at near parity with the euro, the price of everything from accommodation to ski passes has increased dramatically for British tourists.

Switzerland felt the pinch even more sharply, with a drop of 20 per cent in British visitors last winter, prompting tourism officials to look to European markets closer to home. However, Paul Simons, The Times Weather Eye columnist, said the forecast was good. “It looks like the entire Alps will get decent snowfalls at some time over the weekend, particularly the eastern Alps – up to 15cm by about midday today, followed by a bigger fall midday tomorrow. This looks like a good early start to the ski season.”

Jane Jacquemod, from the tourist office in Val d’Isère, France, remains cautious. “It’s snowing here at the moment and all is white. But let’s be prudent. It can very easily disappear.”