The government will launch on March 11 the work of an investment plan dedicated to the mountain economy which should be completed "at the
end of April
", the Secretary of State for Tourism Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne told AFP on Friday. .
The decision to stop ski lifts, and therefore downhill skiing, to fight the Covid-19 epidemic has led to a collapse in winter tourism, on which the Alpine territories are very dependent.
Read also: Tourism: frequentation of ski resorts halved in February
Faced with this "
complicated
"
situation
, Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne "
launches on March 11 with Joël Giraud, the Secretary of State for Rurality, the work for the future mountain investment plan
", in addition to the aid already provided to the sector.
Such a plan "
will make it possible to offer in the years to come a greener, more diversified and more competitive offer
" of mountain tourism, Prime Minister Jean Castex indicated at the beginning of February when the announcement of increased assistance. from the state to the Alpine economy.
"
We continue to be there on support for the mountains,
" assured Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne on Friday, who hopes to come up with a plan "at the
end of April
".
For the specific device concerning ski lifts, the State expects a return from Brussels "
in the coming days
" to authorize the effective payment of compensation to operators.
Crucial for the sector, the winter holidays which end this weekend have seen a 48% drop in ski resort attendance compared to last year, with an average occupancy rate of 33% at the national level, according to an estimate by the G2A firm for the National Association of Mayors of Mountain Resorts (ANMSM).
