Illustration of a ski resort.

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NICOLO REVELLI-BEAUMONT / SIPA

If the health situation permits, the ski lifts could reopen from January 7, the government said on Friday, announcing 400 million euros to help the sector.

"The Prime Minister indicated that the provisional opening could be made from January 7 subject" to a continuation of the ebb of the epidemic, declared the Secretary of State for Tourism Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne on Friday, at the 'resulting from a videoconference with elected officials and mountain stakeholders.

"The government heard us, it feels good"

While the Christmas closure has aroused anger and concern in the mountain world, the government has also deployed a battery of accompanying measures, with an envelope of some 400 million euros, said Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne.

For professionals and elected officials, the clarification is all the more welcome as just before, the Council of State had rejected their referral, confirming the maintenance of the closure of the ski lifts at Christmas.

“The government heard us, it feels good.

Everything is not perfect.

We will have to look closely at compensation so as not to forget anyone in this sad affair, ”says Jean-Luc Boch, president of the national association of mayors of mountain resorts (ANMSM).

Disappointed with the decision of the Council of State, the president of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, Laurent Wauquiez (LR) nevertheless said he was “satisfied to have a date.

Until then the stations will mobilize to show their seriousness ”.

"We are always very sad not to open at Christmas, but there is real state coverage so that mountain tourist areas do not fall apart," also said Alexandre Maulin, president of Domaines skiables de France .

Integrated “red sweaters”

In detail, some 12,000 businesses "located in a mountain area" will be eligible for the reinforced solidarity fund, which offers up to 10,000 euros in compensation, for a 50% drop in turnover, detailed Jean- Baptiste Lemoyne.

Ski instructors, "the famous red sweaters", "will also be eligible".

Eric Brèche, president of the National Union of French Ski Instructors (17,000 instructors throughout France, and 220 ski schools) welcomed these measures which will allow "to prime the pump as soon as possible".

For the ski lifts, "it was decided to compensate up to 70% of the fixed charges", without a ceiling, also announced the Secretary of State.

This "supposes that we have the authorization of the European Community because many are private actors and that this aid, given their scale, is considered as state aid", clarified Prime Minister Jean Castex, during '' an interview with the daily L'Indépendant for the La Dépêche du Midi group.

Dominique Marcel, CEO of Compagnie des Alpes, a giant in the sector, who welcomed "good news, the fruit of a formidable collective", was delighted on this point of "the will of the government to raise the ceiling set at three millions by the European Commission, so that the largest companies, like his, can be supported to match the costs incurred ”, which are much higher.

Nearly 1.5 billion losses

"Knowing that the real loss in turnover should be around 1.5 billion euros for the mountain, all players combined, between the beginning of December and January 7, 400 million is a substantial aid", judge Didier Arino, director of the specialist firm Protourism.

On the other hand for the industrialists of the sector, “vigilance” remains in order, because they are not integrated in the measures announced Friday, explains Virgile Caillet, general delegate of the Union sport & cycle.

According to him, the Minister of the Economy, Bruno Le Maire, was in favor of their inclusion.

On the crucial issue of seasonal workers, Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne recalled that "those who are hired will be able to benefit" from partial activity devices, without any remaining charges for employers.

According to him, "the lifts have hired 95% of their seasonal workers" and for the stores the hiring rate is "85 to 90%".

But the CGT rather evokes a recruitment of 40% of the usual 120,000 seasonal workers, especially in the hotel and catering industry.

The next step for this sector, which weighs 10 billion euros in economic benefits, will be to refine the already very rigorous health protocols, to avoid openings followed by closings.

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  • Covid 19

  • Coronavirus

  • Tourism

  • Laurent Wauquiez

  • Christmas

  • Ski station

  • Ski

  • Mountain

  • Society