The French and the British have massively booked in the mountains for the February holidays

The approximately 10% of French skiers obviously had itchy spatulas: after a winter without ski lifts, and despite the uncertainties linked to the health situation, they largely booked in the resorts, which are also preparing for the return of their British customers. .

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The forecast occupancy rate of tourist accommodation in resorts stands, on the eve of the four weeks of school holidays, at 82%, i.e. 3.5 points more than on the eve of the February 2020 holidays. negligible of these reservations has been taken in recent weeks, when the loosening of restrictions has been confirmed, which will allow a more festive life in the resort.

“The dynamic has taken place over the past fortnight, observes Michaël Ruysschaert, director of the Agence Savoie Mont-Blanc, a tourist promotion body for the two Savoies. This is the new deal in the tourist world: people are taking more time, analyzing the context and changing their booking method. »

Several factors play in favor of the mountains this winter: the frustration accumulated since March 2020, the postponement of stays for foreign customers, whose arrival was slowed down at Christmas, and the difficulties in reaching more distant destinations. After organizational problems in the resorts in December 2021 and January, linked to the fifth wave of Covid-19, February should be less chaotic: few seasonal workers have not contracted the disease in recent weeks.

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Tourist residences and real estate rental agencies benefited the majority of this recovery, to the detriment of hotels or holiday villages. The AirDNA site, which brings together data from the Airbnb and Abritel platforms, reports an increase in reservations of 21% in Haute-Savoie and 2% in Savoie. Only the top-of-the-range hotels in posh resorts like Courchevel could experience a disappointing season, due to the persistent absence of certain Asian or American skiers.

The actual results of the February holidays will depend on the snow cover, which suffered from the mild temperatures in January, and the weekend weather. In January, the sun in the mountains pushed skiers in the Lyon area to take long weekends, partially compensating for the discretion of foreign customers.

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Before these winter holidays, the overall delay in attendance in Savoie Mont-Blanc – which represents around two-thirds of the French mountain market – is 10%, a lesser evil. “There were no English, Belgian or Dutch tour operators, which are our only markets in this six-week tunnel between New Years and February. It’s quite encouraging.”, continues Mr. Ruysschaert.

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