WHAT NEXT FOR LES ARCS: The resorts

Linking with the developments coming soon for the ski area, here is an update on what the Bourg St Maurice town hall has in its plans for the coming years.  Again, info is courtesy of the Avenir et Animations des Arcs association.

On the agenda:

Arc 2000
- a new 5* hotel, opening December 2016, courtesy of the Schonauer Group
- 150M euro investment in a new 60m X 40m ice rink (Dec 2016 also)
- Upgrades to the shopping areas

Arc 1800
- renovation of the Villards parking area, including new bus station, baggage store, welcome area.  Similar improvements are planned to the Charvet "bus station"
- improvements to the dilapidated Place Basse at Villards

Arc 1600
- New Club Med (2018)
- Construction of 15 luxury chalets between the UCPAand the former Beguin Hotel (to the left of the Mont Blanc chair)
- Project (private investors) to turn the Beguin Hotel into apartments

Bourg Saint Maurice
- Extension of the medical centre (currently nearing completion)
- The start of works on the new tourist developments at the former army base
- New youth hotel
- Completion of the renovations of the pedestrian bridge linking the funiculaire with the town

That was then:
1970s marketing literature

WHAT NEXT FOR LES ARCS? The Ski Area

The latest update from Avenir et Animations des Arcs summarises some of the changes coming up in Les Arcs over the coming years.  There's going to be a fair amount of activity both on the mountain and in the resorts.

On the mountain, the lift company's plans include:

Summer 2016
- Further improvements to the area around the Le Lodge restaurant
- Free access to the Villards lift to take you up to Mille 8
- Inauguration of the new club house on the golf course; the idea being that this becomes a focal point for summer visitors
- A new mountain bike track at Mille 8
- Improvements to key footpaths including the balcon sentier at Villaroger and the route to Notre Dame des Vernettes at Peisey

Sumer walking below the Grand Col

Christmas 2017 (sic).  I assume this means the forthcoming season, but not sure...
- New investment in the lower part of the Arc 2000 valley, centred on the replacement of the ancient Pré Saint Esprit Lift
- Remodelling and widening of some of the pistes
- Artificial snowmaking at Villaroger

Programme 2018-2020
- More investment in snowmaking
- Modernisation of the Transarc
- New carriages for the funicular
- Replacement of the Comborciere and Vallandry lifts

The Villards lift to Mille 8 will now run summer and winter

This is all part of what appears to be a reasonably coordinated plan also involving the town hall and private investors, who are putting money into improving the infrastructure and boosting the numbers of visitors.  The battle against the "lits froids", apartments occupied for only a few weeks a year, continues.

These investments - in the mountain and in the resorts - amount to some  €450-€500m between now and 2020.  More on the plans for the resorts soon.

THAT WAS THE SEASON THAT WAS

Loads of useful information in this update from the Avenir et Animation des Arcs proprietors' association.

Despite the variable whether, unpredictable from the start of the season (not much snow) through to the end (a snowy/grey spring), Alain Giraudo reports that the season has been reasonable for local businesses, and indeed for the ADS lift company.

This winter of course saw the launch of various projects, including the Mille 8 development, the Le Lodge restaurant, the new Yuge app, modernisation of some of the pistes.  Apparently the net result is an extra 90,000 skier days: objectives met for ADS, it seems.

At Mille 8, the piste de luge did very well, the new beginners' slopes have been well received, and there has been success for some of the animations, including 6,000 people present at the site's inauguration earlier in the season.

More on plans for summer 2016 (and beyond) soon.

Le Lodge, Mille 8

BACK TO THE FUTURE: A new logo for Les Arcs

The Les Arcs marketing team has decided time is up for the resort's logo - a design which has served the resort in various forms since 2002:

Step forward the new logo.  On the resort's Facebook site, it is presented in red, with a grey angle at the top right hand corner.  But apparently that's because it's currently sitting on the Facebook page, which has a red design.  There is a more simple grey and white version as well, so perhaps that will become the preferred version.  It's a bit early to tell - for example www.lesarcs.com has yet to update things.

As sen on Facebook

The resort's Facebook page says that they are looking to bring back the historic Les Arcs logo in an updated form, in order to re-centre attention on the resort's DNA, and its values. They hope it will provide a way to help new generations learn about the history of Les Arcs.

Here is the old logo in action:

Facebook reaction seems mixed - in general people seem to like its respect for the resort's tradition, but is it a little sombre?  Or should they have just completely gone back to the old version?  There is a reference to a 200k euro budget, but I haven't any more information on that.

Perhaps the most telling comment so far asks whether there is an agency to give the resort's branding a "wake-up call".  It observes the wide range of different brands/logos that can be seen across the resort - it's all a bit all over the shop: Mille8, Snowpark, ADS, Arc 1950, Radio Les Arcs, Bike Park, Film Festival, etc.

For my part, I'm just pleased that the resort has indeed kept this link with its past.  I was worried they were going to do something silly like Peisey-Vallandry.

Perhaps this will be a springboard to harmonise at least some of the other brands referred to by our Facebook correspondent.  It's probably too much to hope for, but it would be nice to see the bland, we-could-be-anywhere presentation of Arc 1950 consigned to the rubbish bin...

HARD TIMES: The ski season in figures

Le Dauphiné's Ski Chrono reports on this week's get together of French mountain bosses in Val d'Isere, where a series of depressing figures have been released.  The disappointing results raise the question as to whether France will lose its cherished No 1 title in terms of skier days to Austria.

The season in numbers:

-5%: the decline in revenues for the Domaines Skiable de France (DSF), with Savoie (-3%) and Haute Savoie (-2%) doing only slightly better

13: the percentage of French who go skiing each year

44: the percentage of French skiers who've been going for more than 20 years; raising questions about whether they are being sufficiently replenished/refreshed by skiers aged under 25

1/3: the number of pistes with artificial snow.  In Italy it's 2/3 and in Austria it's 8/10

47%: the number of visits that are "short stay", a number which continues to rise

4%: the ESF is apparently growing in Haute Savoie (and by a similar proportion in Savoie)

-1%: the decline in revenues in the ski shops

Up to 4% rise: in nights stayed in resorts above 1800 metres.  Below 1800 metres, it's -1 to -3%

Good times in Peisey Vallandr, where
the resort's marketing bosses have been busy with
a rebranding exercise this season

BRAND MATTERS: All change at Peisey Vallandry

I've always quite liked the Peisey Vallandry logo:

It complements the Les Arcs one nicely, but reinforces the smaller resort's separate identity.

But the marketing bosses at Peisey Vallandry have decided it's time to change.  Step forward the new logo:

Click on the logo to see it displayed in the
resort's new look website

I have to say my initial reaction is that I prefer the old visual identity.  Let's hope it doesn't prompt Les Arcs to change the current look and feel, which marks a fine upgrading of the original designs (pictured below).

For more on the Tarentaise resorts' marketing strategies, as they bid to out-perform a flat market, click here.  The Val Thorens United case study is perhaps the most noteworthy.

NEW IN LES ARCS: Le Lodge

This year sees the culmination of the Mille 8 development above Arc 1800, with the opening of Le Lodge - an ambitious new restaurant/bar complex.  It's just below the excellent new beginners' slopes, and is a fine place for groups of skiers to meet.  In the absence of an Austrian-style "Ubi's Ice Bar" by the Vagere, this is where you should wait for your chums.

It's early days - but there is lost of space inside and out, including options to go for a restaurant meal (plat du jour €16) or a snack.  Non-skiers can come along too (access is via the Villards gondola).  It's no ordinary mountain restaurant - it's open until late on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays (last lift down is at 10.30pm) and various parties and events are already on the agenda.

Once everyone's back to work, there's the chance to bring your team here for an invigorating conference - the downstairs restaurant converts into a seminar room.

Last, but not least, the design is stunning, and it represents a fine modern twist on the original architectural vision of Perriand and Taillefer.

A GUIDE TO THE SLOPES: Where to Ski and Snowboard

The new edition of Where to Ski and Snowboard is now out.  It has a winning format - latest news and analysis, followed byextensive guides to the main resorts and pen pics of hundreds of smaller ski areas.

Looking at the main chapters, there's an informal system of promotion and relegation in terms of who is and is not included.  For example, Alpbach was relegated from the 2014 edition, but is back now.

Over the years, Valmorel has yo-yoed from having a seat in the main section to being in the back of the book.  It's back with a chapter of its own this year, although the authors suggest that the ski area is "lagging some way behind - and it is never going to compete with its illustrious neighbours in the next-door Three Valleys."

You can ski over from Valmorel to St Francois-Longchamp in the Maurienne valley, and the Maurienne will be delighted that it now has a chapter of its own in this new 2016 edition.

This includes details of the Eski-mo ski pass, covering the five resorts east of Modane, as well as short summaries of the following ski areas:

• Les Sybelles
• Valloire
• Valmeinier
• Les Karellis
• Albiez
• Valfrejust
• Aussois
• La Norma
• Bonneval-sur-Arc

These resorts are little-known to British skiers.  And they provide much cheaper options than the mega resorts on the other side of the hill.

I've never got beyond St Francois in winter, but the summer drive up the valley motorway is a more dramatic one scenery-wise than the RN90 to Bourg-St-Maurice.  And the skiing gets good reports - see for example this piece from Peter Hardy in the Telegraph a few years ago.

Surely some mistake:The new edition of the book gives
Les Arcs a measly 2 stars for Alpine Charm....

GOOD NEWS AND BAD NEWS: The French Ski Market

The good news is that France has regained its crown as the world's Number 1 ski destination.

The less good news is that this is the result of a 5% fall in skier numbers in the US. French numbers are down by "only" 2.7%, and so it returns to the top spot.

Terrible snow on the other side of the Atlantic is a key factor in the American numbers: this Planet Ski account contains more detail.

In total, France registers 53.9m skier days, with the US on 53.6m.  Austria is catching up, with just under 52m (up 2%).

This annual review, from the French ski resort association, says resorts didn't do too badly all things considering.  In particular, the early season snow was terrible, and the resorts remained plagued by late school holidays.

The southern Alps fared worst, with an 8% year-on-year fall, while the season saw a sharp recovery in the Vosges (after a disastrous 2013/14) and a good season in the Jura. Smaller stations were aided by the good mid-winter snow cover.  In the ski heartland of the northern Alps, which account for between 65-75% of skier days, visitor numbers are broadly in line with the previous four seasons.

All in all, not a disaster, but not too great either.  One reason why the big resorts are still coming up with new marketing schemes like the mega Tarentaise pass.

Early season in Les Arcs

(For more details on the 2013/14 season, click here.)

ALPINE LEGENDS: Marketing the mega resorts

The first snowfalls have started to appear on the tops.  The new edition of Where to Ski and Snowboard is out.  Britain itself faces "months" of heavy snow.  Time to look ahead to season 2015/2016.

Val Thorens last week. Source: Val Thorens Tourist Office

The big marketing news is the arrival of the new Alpine Legends pass.  The chance to enjoy Paradiski, Espace Killy and the 3 Valleys on a single ticket.  In return for a 340€ six-day pass, the winter visitor now can now take advantage of the 391 lifts, 1300 ski runs, 5 glaciers the three areas have to offer.

"It's a unique product with a unique target market", says the website sniffily, in response to the "FAQ" asking why there are no discounts for children, seniors or groups.  Quite what that target market is, who knows.

Here are the prices for day tickets in each of the mega-areas covered:

Espace Killy: €54€
Paradiski €57 (50€ for Les Arcs/Peisey only)
3 Valleys: €59

By my maths, the cost of simply buying day passes in the area you want to ski in is practically identical, but maybe I am missing something.  I imagine relatively few people will want to ski in one area in the morning and another in the afternoon?  Even rally driving from Les Granges above Arc 1600 to Les Brevieres at Tignes is still likely to take an hour or so out of the day....

Note: if you are visiting Les Arcs for the week, you'd be far better spending a day in La Rosiere or Sainte-Foy-Tarentaise than trekking up to Tignes - the two smaller resorts offering a change of pace and a different experience.

Anyway, it all seems harmless marketing spin, and with the decline in the  ski market witnessed in recent years, everyone is thinking about how they can increase their market share and/or win back some of the lost skiers.

There is now a real gulf in prices between the big league resorts and the next level down.  A 6 day Paradiski pass will set you back €291.  Set his against relative neighbours Les Saisies, Le Norma and Aussois, and the southern resorts of Auron, Isola 2000 and Le Sauze.  These are all credible resorts, which were all offering six-day passes for under €150 last season.

THE SEASON SO FAR: A tour of Les Arcs

One month into the season, a quick tour around the resort to pick up on what's occurring.

At 1800, the big news is of course the Mille 8 development, which is settling down well.  A new ski cross course (Les Bosses) was built at the end of the year, running parallel to the foot of the Vagere lift.  It will video your performance, giving you the option to review your style half way down the run and upload the film to social media, if you so wish...

Peak time queues do remain a problem at Arc 1800, and the Vagere simply can't cope with New Year and February crowds.  Help is at hand, however..  The next stage of the Masterplan for the resort will be the new Col des Frettes lift, which will give a direct link to Arc 2000.  Two bits of gossip on this:

1. It will leave from Edenarc/Chantel - the intention is to create a new "axis" from the upmarket development.

2. Although the budget is in place, planning permission is not yet forthcoming.  So let's see if it arrives for 2015/16.  Meanwhile, it looks like the "urban lift" which will link Edenarc/Chantel directly with the front de neige will happen in time for next season.

New Year crowds at Arc 1800

Up at the Col de la Chal, the new extension to the La Creche restaurant is now open - giving another 80 or so seats for dining inside, without feeling that the space on the panoramic terrace has been compromised.  (For a summer view of the site, click here).   It's arguably the best place in resort for a mid-morning coffee, although for lunch I would tend to go elsewhere.

La Creche, Col de la Chal

La Creche just got bigger

One place worth considering for eating is the Bulle café in Arc 2000.  It is now well-established and has a bit of a buzz about it.  This relatively new establishment gets high marks for its varied offering - those with deeper pockets have oysters and champagne on offer; student types can opt for a slice of pizza at less than €3.  For more on where to eat in Les Arcs click here.

January weather outside the Bulle café

Local hero Simon Beck has been in resort, and he was creating one of his trademark pieces below the Varet earlier in the month:

Impressed? Click here for more...

Looking ahead to March and April, take a look at this account of late season skiing in the Telegraph.  And, because of the changes to the French school holiday calendar, it is likely to be very quiet.  Much to the irritation of resort bosses and businesses.

A "dinky facsimile of a traditional ski village", according
to Ben Ross of the Telegraph. Click here for a guide to
the original (and far more interesting)
architecture of Les Arcs

NO LONGER NO 1: The French Ski Market

"France loses its No 1 spot as the world's top country for skiing" says the new press release from resort association Domaines skiable de France.

The release goes on: "...a place it would have kept had it not been for the new school holiday calendar".

The "reforms" to the French school holiday calendar have left the ski resorts foaming at the mouth.  Easter holidays now don't start until mid April at the earliest.

The result: business is down by 70% at this time of the year, and it now makes up just 2-3% of the season's business, compared with 8% before 2010.

Looking at 2013/14 specifically, skier days are down 4.5%. and away from the lifts, resort takings are down 2.3%.  The Vosges and Jura had a complete nightmare.

Also in the firing line are increases to VAT and dodgy weather during January and February.  The general decline in the number of French people going on holiday completes the gloomy picture.

The best the resort association seems to be able to come up with is that last season is broadly in line with the average for the previous four seasons (2012/13 having been better than normal).

The French border above La Rosiere

Their new report  includes loads of fine statistics.  For example:

• The US now records 56.2m skier days (-1.2%)
• France has 55.3m (-4.5)
• Austria 50.8 (-6.3)

And:

• For every €1 spent on lift passes, 6€ are spent elsewhere in the resort 
• There are 120,000 seasonal jobs in France - 90,000 of which are in the Northern French Alps
• 68.1% of skiers are French; 11.6% are Brits
• French ski passes are apparently 11% cheaper than those in Austria and 17% cheaper than the Swiss.  (Not too convinced by this one!)

For the full stats fest, click here.

Seasonal workers at Les Arcs

STILL GOING DOWNHILL: The British Ski Market

The British ski market continues to struggle.  The latest Crystal report, summarised here by the energetic folk at Planet Ski, finds just 867,000 Brits making the journey to the slopes last year, down 3.6% on 2012/13.

Back in 2007/8 the number of British skiers stood at around 1.2m.  Click here for more on the long term trends.

Alongside economic woes (there are now 5m "lapsed" British skiers and indoor slopes in the UK are booming), indifferent snow and a late Easter are deemed to be important factors.

Independent skiers are down 5.8%, while the school market shows a small fall, at -1%. France and Austria continue to dominate the market, welcoming more than 60% of the remaining British skiers.

Switzerland is on the rise, albeit from a small base.  It has seen its share increase from 4.9% to 6.5% in two years.  But that is now under threat following new labour laws which have promoted some chalet operators to pull out.  More on that story here.

The Planet Ski summary finds many tour operators claiming to be bucking the trend - but it is very much a battle over share of wallet in a market which is static at best.

At Arc 1800, Compagnie des Alpes is investing millions
in reshaping the Chantel slopes below this point - more here.

TRANSFORMATION: Building work at Arc 1800

There are big changes taking shape at Arc 1800.  Some see this as a necessary upgrade to help the resort complete with rivals like Tignes (which was recently crowned Europe's most improved ski resort.  Older proprieteres have been overheard worrying that the resort is losing its soul, and Val d'Isere-style prices will surely follow.

The development is certainly ambitious.  The Chantel slopes will see the installation of a new gondola, piste luge and beginners' slope.  Compagnie des Alpes is putting nearly €30m into the investment.  

And that's not all.  Out goes the defunct ice-rink.  Step forward a new indoor swimming pool complex, aka the centre aqualudique.  This has been funded by the local council. For more on the background, click here.

Timing-wise, it all seems to be on track, although it looks like the restaurant on the map will have to wait until the following year.  Below are some August 2014 pictures.

Click here for full details of the plan

The new Villards telecabine has replaced the old  chair

The summit of the new telecabine in the foreground,
with the next wave of Edenarc behind

The outside pool was closed this summer...

...to enable construction of the new centre aqualudique

NEW SKI SEASON: More Space to dine at the top of the Transarc

The restaurant at the top of the Transarc has traditionally proved one of Les Arcs' less satisfactory dining experiences.  The location is stunning, but the self-service restaurant tends to be crowded and over-priced.  And the toilets are horrid.

The saving grace is the view, and the owners are putting some more money into expanding the building ahead of the new ski season.  A new extension will reduce the size of the terrace somewhat; according to the chap on the roof (see below), the work will be complete by the end of September.

SUMMER IN THE MOUNTAINS: Round-up

Some stories from the mountains this summer:

Mont Blanc: The Italian side, as seen from Les Arcs

The dangers of Mont Blanc: 4 die over the weekend, but meanwhile an American climber takes his children up the mountain who duly encounter an avalanche: more here. (Via The Independent)

"An unsubtle game of brinkmanship": Verbier and its neighbouring villages have fallen out over revenue sharing which means that the 4 Valleys are is no more (at least temporarily).  (Via PlanetSki)

Still on lift politics, they've been talking about linking Les Contamines and Megeve for 30 years or more. But the new Mayor des Contamines is not keen at all, and seems more interested in linking the resort with the Espace Diamant (Les Saisies, Crest Voland et al) (Via Le Dauphiné)

Although the number of British skiers going to the Alps is down by a quarter since 2007/8, the market for indoor and outdoor recreational slopes back home is growing - by 23% over the last three years, according to this report.  Meanwhile Ski Rossendale is planning an expansion of its activities.  (Via Ski Club GB & PlanetSki)

September will see the verdict on the "British ski hosting" saga, which is a key test case. The Ski Club of Great Britain has suspended its own ski hosting service for the moment, pending legal advice.  On the face of it, this case is not connected at all to that of the British ski instructor Simon Butler who is apparently planning his appeal.

Alpe d'Huez is back on the summer skiing map, bringing the number of French resorts open in the sumer back to four.

On the other side of the valley, beginners and timid skiers in Les 2 Alpes will be pleased to learn that a new easy slope is planned as an alternative to the current treacherous return routes home:  (Source: Aurélien de Pierrefeu)

WHITE-COLLAR HOOLIGAN OR NATIONAL HERO?

The latest development in the Simon Butler case sees the Megeve-based ski instructor given a 200 day jail sentence (or €30,000 fine) for working without the necessary documentation.  The case seems to cover not only Mr Butler, but the ski instructors he employs - who also do not qualify to teach on French slopes.  For some background, click here.

It's all unbelievably complicated, and this is seems to be one of the first times the rules have been tested in court.

Planet Ski's excellent round-up describes Simon Butler as "Marmite Man".  They quote an ESF director who calls him a "white collar hooligan".  On the other hand UKIP's Paul Nuttall condemns what he sees as "a blatant display of national discrimination by the French Government".

Boris Johnson is also outraged - and the whole controversy has not gone unnoticed in the French press - see, for example, these piece from Le Figaro and Le Parisien, and this report from France 3 News.

The British Association of Ski Instructors (BASI) is not supporting Mr Butler.  As The Independent asks: Is Simon Butler a national hero, or just a skier who breaks France's rules?

An appeal has been lodged, so the saga looks set to continue...

In a separate development, there is potential trouble brewing for the Ski Club of Great Britain, following the questioning of one of its hosts on the slopes of Val d'Isere last season - the Planet Ski report is here.

ARC 1800: All Change

Paradiski's YouTube channel has a new video setting the scene for the big changes planned at Arc 1800 (more on the background to this €30m project here).

Arc 1800 has been falling behind some of its rivals somewhat in recent years.  It has little for non skiers (no pool, for example), the beginners' area isn't the best, and links to the fancy Chantel and Edenarc appartments are a bit rubbish to say the least.  Meanwhile, the Chantel front de neige is inconveniently laid out, with no handy restaurant/bar meeting places and a lot of huffing and puffing up and down the slope as people trundle to and fro.

*DRUMROLL*  

Step forward "a new recreational area dedicated to the pleasures of snowsports".  It will include:

• A beginners' area
• A new piste decouverte
• Toboggan track
• Freeride area (by the Vagere lift)
• The new Centre Aquatique
• A new restaurant on the golf course pistes

It will be open from 9am to 9.30pm, and will be powered by new lifts, for example:

• The new Telecabine des Villards (December 2014)
• A new "Dahu" telecabine serving the Chantel/EdenArc accommodation (2015)
• A revitalised Carrely lift, which will start higher up than the current slow lift - according to the plans published last year this will take skiers direct to the Arc 2000 valley (also for 2015)

A summertime view of the Chantel slopes

SKI INSTRUCTOR MATTERS: An update

The Ski Club of Great Britain's summer magazine Elevation provides an update on "the Megeve Simon Butler case."

It notes that:

• This is more complicated thatn "French v Brits".  For example:
• Butler is represented by Jean-Yves Lapeyrere, "who represetns several French outdoor sports enthusiasts and would like to see the rules on qualifiacations relaxed, not just for ski instructors, but for several summer sports such as windsurfing".
• Some British ski instructors who have achieved the highest level BASI qualification - Alpine Ski Level 4 ISTD - are worried about the implications for their pay and status if the rules are relaxed
• Many French instructors have not had to take the "Eurotest", as they qualified before 2004, or are still operating as trainees.  (The Eurotest involves skiing a slalom course within 18% of that of a professional racer for men and within 24% for women)
• A decision is expected on June 16

SKI SEASON 2013/14: Not too bad, all things considering

Easter Monday's Le Dauphiné (now behind the paywall) saw the paper reviewing the ski season just gone.

The overall conclusions, according to the professionals, are of a "broadly satisfactory" season, with occupancy rates of "between 58% and 69%".

This could be putting a slightly brave face on things.  The article goes on to say that most resorts are reporting a decline since last year, particularly in the Savoie, the southern Alps and the Jura.  The dodgy weather at the start of the season, indifferent economic situation and late school holidays have all been contributory factors....

Other headlines include:

• A further movement towards last minute and short stays
• Fewer opting for "all-inclusive" breaks
• The Brits apparently making a comeback
• Busy resorts at peak periods (December, February) but terrible low-season. For example, Bonneval-sur-Arc, which says skier numbers are up 3%, posted 86% occupancy at Christmas/New Year, but just 10% during January
• A "good" season in Val Thorens (+1.5%), which reports 80% occupancy, and will not beclosing until 11 May.  VT says 70% of its visitors are foreign
• Tignes is stable, which it is quite pleased with performance given the cancellation of the X-Games in March.  They had 30% occupation at Easter, thanks to the Belgians, Danes and Brits
• Val d'Isere is down 3% - they say that they had a particularly good season last year, making like-for-like improvement difficult.  Oh, and the negative image presented on by pesky lower resorts "in need of snow" hasn't helped Val, where l'or blanc has been plentiful

Empty Chairs: Les Arcs saw a 9% fall in visitor
numbers between 2009-12
(Source: Ski Adventures)

For more on the British market, which saw skier numbers tumble from 1.2m pre-crash to 900,000 in 2012/13, click here.