Winter sports resorts see the holidays approaching with concern.

The government has banned ski lifts and tourism professionals fear a catastrophic month.

Seasonal workers and employees demonstrated in Luchon on Friday and four departments seized the Council of State to try to change things.

REPORTAGE

"It is the death of our valleys, the only economy there is is tourism and here we are crushing it."

Like Christophe, who runs a guest house in the heart of Luchon, in ski resorts, anger is expressed and the sling is organized.

On Friday several hundred salaried and seasonal traders gathered in Luchon in Haute Garonne to express their dissatisfaction and their incomprehension.

In the Pyrenees, as in the Alps, professionals in the sector are asking to be able to reopen their ski lifts for the holidays, despite the health situation linked to the coronavirus.

Many of them wonder how they are going to be able to do this winter if the customers do not return to the stations, as it seems to be profiling since the announcement of Jean Castex.

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"People don't want to come"

“Today, everyone canceled. When Jean Castex spoke, ten minutes after my last reservation fell. People don't want to come,” explains Christophe.

His guesthouse has been deserted and he expects a catastrophic December.

The concern is the same on the side of Stéphanie, seasonal in Peyragudes, she usually takes care of the ticket office.

Her whole family lives off tourism and she doesn't know how they're going to get by. "It's catastrophic, we are living off that, we have no choice. We have a promise of employment on January 4. We Didn't think we weren't going to work during the Christmas holidays. They're taking away ten days of work. It's downright a nightmare. "

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Laurent Garcia is the manager of the Peyragudes resort and he has trouble finding justifications for the government's decision to attack skiing.

"We don't understand, it's an outdoor activity, without comparison with the crowds that can be found every day in the city centers. We are very frustrated because we have a very favorable weather situation on these days before. Christmas and we would have been able to have a great product for our customers so it's a big disappointment, "he explains.

To retaliate, four departments of Occitanie seized the Council of State to obtain the opening of the ski lifts.

However, many professionals fear that even in the event of victory the skiers will not come back.