(AFP / CHARLY TRIBALLEAU)
Compagnie des Alpes recorded a slight decline in turnover of 1% year-on-year at the end of 2023, i.e. the first quarter of its staggered financial year, due in particular to later school holidays than the previous year.
From October to December, turnover reached 200.3 million euros, according to a press release published on Tuesday.
“The French Christmas school holidays only started this year on December 23, compared to December 17 last year: the turnover for the 1st quarter 2023/24 therefore includes 6 days of French school holidays less than that of the 1st quarter of the previous financial year”, explains Compagnie des Alpes.
Sales from ski areas and outdoor activities (outdoors, Editor’s note), i.e. La Plagne, Les Arcs and Val d’Isère Méribel, are stable at 66.7 million euros.
Taking into account a broader period from October 1 to January 12 to include the entire school holidays, Compagnie des Alpes estimates growth at 9%.
The group says it is “very confident for the heart of the season ahead” thanks to the “good level of snow” and the “good levels of reservations, particularly for the February school holidays”.
The turnover of Leisure Parks (Asterix, Musée Grévin, Walibi, etc.) is also stable at 119.7 million euros but “does not reflect the dynamism of activity observed in particular during the Christmas school holidays “, insists the Compagnie des Alpes.
Over the period from October 1 to January 7 inclusive (end date of the Christmas school holidays), the activity of Leisure Parks “is growing by around 8%, due to both an increase in attendance and expenditure per visitor”, according to the press release.
During the Christmas holidays, park attendance increased by 44% thanks to the increase in visitors to sites already open last year (+30% at Parc Astérix) but also thanks to the opening for the first time at this time of year from Walibi Belgium and Bellewaerde.
This activity should benefit this year from the 35th anniversary of Parc Astérix, the complete reopening of Aqualibi and new developments to come at Bellewaerde, Walibi Rhône-Alpes and Futuroscope.
The turnover of the “Distribution and Hospitality” division (distribution and accommodation) is close to 14 million euros, down 14.2%.
It suffered in particular because of the activity of Travelfactory (which offers “turnkey” trips, Editor’s note) which was penalized in particular by “the drastic reduction this season of its rail offer (end of the direct rail link between London and Bourg-Saint-Maurice in particular).