What will be the impact of the absence of British tourists for the start of the season in the ski resorts?
In principle, everything was in place to have a good season, with snow and reservations.
Savoie Mont Blanc accounts for 70% of the ski offer in France.
The British represent on average 12% of the customers of our 112 ski resorts in Savoie and Haute-Savoie.
This is a significant proportion and the impact will be greater in resorts which are very dependent on this market, such as Morzine, Val d'Isère, Val Thorens, Méribel ... It is a real shortfall.
After two dark years caused by Covid-19, losses amount to 5.8 billion euros for our stations.
Read alsoSki resorts shaken up by the absence of the English
What actions are you going to implement?
The ban on tourist stays by the English, as well as the restrictions in the Netherlands, another important market, fell just a few days before the Christmas holidays. The absence of the British will mathematically free up space. We are going to act to revive the interest of French customers: 74% of winter sports regulars are still undecided, which represents a margin. After the 2 million euros committed since last year, we are launching a new promotional campaign of up to 600,000 euros aimed at several targets: families, young adults and those who live less than 3 hours away. of our resorts, with priority in the Ile-de-France, Grand Est and Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes regions.We are working on flexible offers in terms of dates and attractive in terms of price, for example by departing from the logic of a stay from Saturday to Saturday. Several players and travel agencies such as MMV, UCPA, Travelski or VVF have already embarked on this path with the “Ski me arranging” operation. These offers are already to be discovered.
Read alsoOur 2022 ranking of French ski resorts
Michaël Ruysschaert, Managing Director of Agence Savoie Mont Blanc, a tourism promotion organization for 112 resorts in Savoie and Haute-Savoie.
Savoie Mont Blanc
Does the deterioration of the health situation in France worry you?
We are aware that the situation is currently tense on French territory.
We are closely monitoring the evolution of sanitary conditions and remain vigilant.
In the stations, it is a matter of ensuring that health protocols are respected.
