Margaux Fodéré 9:12 a.m., January 8, 2023

If the snow was not really there in the resorts at Christmas, preventing tourists from going down the slopes, holidaymakers were still able to indulge in other activities in the mountains.

Thanks to these leisure activities, the balance sheet of the ski resorts for these last holidays is even rather positive.

For those who are still lucky enough to be on vacation in the mountains, it is still difficult to ski.

For the moment, the snow has not covered the slopes, but fortunately, there are other alternatives in the mountains: climbing, dog sledding, spa... Thanks to the diversity of activities, the results of the Christmas holidays n isn't so bad after all.

Sports and well-being

Despite the low snowfall in Savoie and Haute-Savoie, the bed occupancy rate for all accommodation providers reached 70% during the three weeks of the Christmas period, up 6% compared to last year .

Because, alongside skiing, the French can now take advantage of a whole host of activities.

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"We ski on average 3h15-3h30 a day and we want to do something completely different, such as diving under the ice, climbing... The well-being side is today a real factor in triggering stays in altitude", explains Michaël Ruysschaert Ruiskaert, managing director of the Savoie Mont Blanc agency.

"There is an offer that is being structured"

Positive results also in the Pyrenees, in Peyragudes, where holidaymakers at the end of the year were able to try their hand at mountain biking or even zip-lining.

Activities that have become essential in the face of global warming.

“There is an offer that is being structured”, notes Julien Ampollini, co-founder and president of Funbooker, a site for booking experiences and leisure activities.

"If, at the beginning, it was a complementary offer, it will become more and more central in the value proposition because the number of snow days will mechanically drop", he underlines.

This winter, reservations for mountain activities have doubled on the site.

Proof that ski resorts are reinventing themselves.