With the closure of the ski lifts, the accommodation reservation sites and the players in the mountain world were anticipating a very sharp drop in reservations at ski resorts for the February holidays.
And yet, the ski areas are not so empty as feared at the start of the holiday for the French in zone C. Take a breath of fresh air or discover the other activities than downhill skiing offered by the resorts, all the reasons are good for escaping for a week.
Read also: Ski resorts fear a white season
In recent days, several ski resorts have witnessed a boom in last minute reservations.
In Saint-Gervais, in the Alps, "
we are seeing a strong customer enthusiasm for apartment and chalet rentals
", which compensates for the collapse in hotel reservations, says Didier Josephe, director of the office. tourism of the municipality.
In total, for this week, the rental occupancy rate is between 60% and 70% compared to a normal season.
And for the alternative activities to alpine skiing offered by Saint-Gervais, “
everything is complete for this week
” according to Didier Josephe.
A similar observation is made in the ski area of La Pierre Saint-Martin, located in the Pyrenees, where accommodation has been taken by storm by holidaymakers: “
there is little accommodation available for rent at the moment.
Attendance is almost normal compared to previous years, we are a little surprised by the world there is,
”says Dominique Rousseu, director of the resort, to
Le Figaro
.
"
We saw a lot of arrivals last Saturday
", the start date of the holidays for French people in zone C, reports Michaël Ruysschaert, director general of Agence Savoie Mont Blanc, a tourist body for the departments of Savoie (73) and Haute -Savoy (74).
In total, the territory, which includes 112 ski resorts and accounts for 60% of ski activity in France, recorded an average occupancy rate of 37% for the February holidays, against 81% last year.
A significant drop for the sector, “
but this occupancy rate remains a nice surprise in view of the current context
,” confides Michaël Ruysschaert.
And for good reason, the closure of restaurants and ski lifts foreshadowed much less crowded ski resorts during the February holidays.
"
These numbers are positive because they show that a lot of people have decided to 'trust' the mountains without downhill skiing
."
Craze for activities other than downhill skiing
The French therefore seem to be present in the mountain ranges, for several reasons.
According to a survey carried out by the Opinion Way institute for the National Association of Mayors of Mountain Stations (ANMSM), revealed by
Le Parisien
, almost half of French people questioned (49%) associate the mountains with clean air and big spaces.
A breath of fresh air that they particularly need at the moment, according to Michaël Ruysschaert.
"
We feel that the Covid is pushing them to seek oxygen and to meet up with their families,
" he points out, observing that many children, parents and grandparents have taken over the premises.
And this even when the weather is not good for holidaymakers: "
During the Christmas holidays, even on days
when the weather
was not nice, visitors were happy to be there, to see snow,
" says Nicolas. Rubin, mayor of Châtel, village of Haute-Savoie.
Another factor that seems to attract the French: the diversification of activities offered by ski resorts, in the absence of downhill skiing.
Cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, building igloos and ice structures ... the areas have redoubled their imagination to attract and occupy visitors.
These activities can easily please according to the actors of the sector, because they are considered more accessible, in terms of budget and technique, than downhill skiing.
"
A pair of snowshoes for the day costs 30 euros, and many activities are free"
, specifies Michaël Ruysschaert.
For his part, the manager of the resort La Pierre Saint-Martin explains that the clientele has changed this year: “
the die-hards did not come, we are rather dealing with people who are discovering the mountain.
They have brand new outfits, it's messy,
”he laughs.
Read also: Ski resorts: professionals count on state aid
If seeing people on the redeveloped trails and crossing walkers between snow-covered fir trees makes these tourism professionals smile, the sector's economic situation remains very difficult, especially for the wine industry, the agrifood industry and the hotel and restaurant industry .
"
On the two departments Savoie and Haute-Savoie, we have already lost 4 billion euros since the start of the season, and we expect a total loss of 6 billion euros over the year
", indicates the director of Savoie Mont Blanc Agency.
It is therefore a meager compensation for the mountain world, which "
tries to save the furniture
", but for whom "
there will be collateral damage, in particular in terms of jobs
", he concludes.
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With the closures of the ski lifts, ski resort suppliers fear the worst for the coming seasons