For several years, mid-mountain resorts have diversified their activities.

With the current closure of the ski lifts, this strategy allows them to better overcome the crisis.

"We have had very, very few cancellations," said Frédéric Blanc-Mappaz, from the Arêches-Beaufort tourist office, on Saturday on Europe 1.

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In Arêches-Beaufort, in Savoie, morale is pretty good.

In this village resort perched at an altitude of 1,200 meters, the closure of the ski lifts linked to Covid-19 at least until January 7 has certainly an impact on economic activity, but it seems better experienced than elsewhere, in particular in high mountain resorts which depend a lot on skiing and other board sports.

Faced for several years with the irregularity of snowfall, the mountain resorts are already organized so as not to depend solely on these leisure activities.

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"People know that here they can do other activities"

Arêches-Beaufort's activity is down 30% for these Christmas holidays.

But the situation is not catastrophic, explains Frédéric Blanc-Mappaz, the director of the tourist office.

And for good reason, Arêches-Beaufort has diversified its offer in recent years.

"We have had very few cancellations. People know that here, they can do other activities," said Frédéric Blanc-Mappaz.

"We have strongly developed ski touring and we have set up courses and initiations, including for children. We can also visit farms, sawmills, discover products such as Beaufort and others. local products."

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"It limits the damage"

Many possibilities which make it possible to support other sectors essential to the economic life of the resort-village.

“It limits the damage to accommodation and shops that are present in the resort,” confirms Frédéric Blanc-Mappaz.

This diversification was decided about ten years ago by the village resorts.

"They could not compete with resorts which necessarily offered more kilometers of slopes and slopes. From there, they had to position themselves differently. The middle mountains can offer landscapes, heritage, encounters, gastronomy ", comments Guillaume Cromer, from the consulting firm ID-Tourism.

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From now on, this model of diversification of activities, which has become an asset for the middle mountains, is being infused elsewhere.

The large altitude stations are no longer insensitive to it.