And the skiers have duly arrived in resort to enjoy the snow. Pierre et Vacances report a better season than 2011/12, and Odalys say they are 95% of the way to reaching their targets. "We are surprised. Everyone is surprised" they say, bearing in mind the depressing economic backdrop. It's a bit early to know what this means for the British ski market, or indeed whether the Swiss are starting to recover. Another barometer is the performance of the giant Compagnie des Alpes, who run the lifts for most of France's Premier League resorts. The first part of the season was "satisfactory" - we need to wait until 25th April to see if they upgrade their assessment.
 |
| Les Arcs is one of the resorts run by the Compagnie des Alpes |
From a British ski business point of view, the big news is the "banning of ski hosts" by the Albertville court. It's a complex issue - more here - and one which the tour operators have vowed to keep on fighting. Twelve ski holiday providers, including Inghams, Crystal and Thomson, met last week, although they are pausing until they've seen the written judgement. A useful update from the Telegraph is here. And here's another perspective on the issue from The Good Ski Guide.
The abundant snowfalls also bring reminders of just how dangerous it can be. Le Monde reports that 8 people have died over the last week in avalanches, including a guide and their client in Tignes.
Looking to the future....which resorts should we watch out for? La Rosiere is clearly on the up, but watch out for more coverage of Montgenevre in your Saturday travel supplements. There's been a lot of investment in accommodation, it's reasonably easy to access via Turin, and is having a marketing push aimed at Parisien and Northern European skiers. It could do with a new website though...
No comments:
Post a Comment