After two seasons thwarted by the Covid-19 pandemic, the French seem to want to have fun this winter.
They are one in five (20%) to consider going on vacation in the mountains, twice as many as a year ago, according to an OpinionWay poll for the company Ginkoia, published on Tuesday.
A minority of them (6%) say they have already booked their stay, while the remaining 14% will make their decision at the last minute.
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Like last season, France remains by far the favorite destination for holidaymakers (93%).
The length of the planned stay does not change either: seven days on average for a majority of respondents.
But this year, the French seem to want to go on vacation earlier.
58% of them plan to take their leave before the winter holidays (from February 5 to 28, depending on the zone), i.e. 9 points more than in 2020-2021.
Their preference goes to stations that are easy to access, that is to say at low altitude, i.e. less than 1,500 meters (47%, +14 points,), and on a human scale: 71% (+10 points) will turn to family offers, recording less than 250 km of slopes.
Skiing in decline but still number one
Downhill skiing remains the favorite activity of the French: 70% go to the mountains to practice it. But a significant drop should be noted (-9 points compared to last season). "
A figure that can be linked to the context
", analyzes the second edition of this annual study by Ginkoia, a software publisher for the sports trade. “
Unlike nature sports practiced in large areas, downhill skiing involves frequenting resorts, lifts and slopes that are generally very busy. The French therefore still seem very concerned about the health risks incurred and rather wish to limit the risks.
"
Thus, other practices are gaining ground.
This is the case, for example, for snowshoeing (66%, +7 points), ski touring (51%, +11 points) or supervised outdoor activities (43%, +2 points).
In addition to being less risky from a health point of view, they are more affordable.
"
Inflation obliges, the French will direct their choice towards free and practicable activities in middle mountain, in order to preserve their purchasing power
", notes the study.
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The Covid-19, which remains a threat although its circulation has slowed for several weeks, does not seem to stop the French.
Eight in ten (80%) say they want to keep their vacation even if the health pass was requested for the ski lifts.
For the time being, the government indicates that it does not want to require this health certificate to access these facilities, although this measure is not excluded in the event of the worsening of the epidemic situation.
OpinionWay survey for Ginkoia carried out by self-administered online questionnaire from September 22 to 24, 2021 with a sample of 1,821 people representative of the French population aged 18 and over.