The winter sports season officially begins this weekend in France.
It is Tignes (Savoie) which kicks off thanks to its glacier which rises to more than 3400 m of altitude.
This opening is a sign of hope for the mountain leisure sector, whose economy has been more than abused for a year and a half.
After the 2019-2020 season which was prematurely stopped in mid-March, it was the whole of last season that could not be held because of the restrictions linked to the Covid-19 pandemic and the decision to maintain the ski lifts closed.
In Tignes this weekend, Le Progrès states that “4 to 5 slopes are open depending on snow conditions, as well as six ski lifts, including the Grande Motte cable car”.
This corresponds to "about twenty kilometers of track".
No health pass for the moment
Regarding the issue of the health pass, things are not yet definitively settled.
This Saturday and Sunday, it is not compulsory in Tignes.
The mask, on the other hand, must be worn on the lifts.
For the entire winter season, the debate remains open and decisions will soon be taken by the government on the terms and conditions that will apply to the ski areas.
The Secretary of State for Tourism, Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne, recalled at the end of September that "common law does not provide that the sanitary pass is requested in the ski lifts", thus justifying the provisions in force these days in Tignes.
According to Le Monde, nothing will be definitively stopped before October 20 at least.
After this traditional launch of the season in Tignes, Les 2 Alpes, in Isère, will follow next weekend.
After the All Saints holidays, the opening for the rest of the season will take place on November 27.
