The Russians are even if they spend less ostentatiously

The Russians are, even if they spend less ostentatiously. "Claude Faure, President of the society of the three valleys that handles of Tania, Courchevel and Méribel Alpina ski areas, is to the Angels: attendance has jumped by about 8." ". "During the Christmas holiday, we registered a record," he added. Laurent Raynaud, also not in is not: "Person not have imagined that the Christmas holiday would raise an also General craze", welcomed the Director of the national Union of cable cars.

This is true on all Alpine massif where professionals claim satisfied, strong scores often higher than those of the excellent Christmas 2007. Near cities like Chamrousse, Villard, the Bauges and la Chartreuse, attendance has operated a record leap of 30 sometimes. "Many French appear to have given up the distant departures for the benefit of the mountain," explains Didier Arino, Director of Protourisme. The tourist accommodation occupancy rates would be 75 on Christmas and more even (from 85 to 90) on new year's.

PACA, the season started on the hats of wheels, with records all over the place: attendance, turnover, snow. In the Hautes-Alpes, Abriès, station-village of Queyras, the snowiest holiday of Christmas (3.80 m above tracks!), the filling ratio reached the outstanding figure of 95 for the second week of the holiday. Isola 2000, despite the avalanche that blocked its access several days before the holiday, received an attendance much higher than Christmas, 2007.

And the main station of the Alpes-Maritimes, symbol of the candidacy of Nice for the 2018 Winter Olympics, is already very busy for the end of the season. Same phenomenon in Serre-Chevalier where bookings in late March and April are almost twice as numerous as the previous season. "Perhaps because rates are already low season", note François Badjily, Director of the office of tourism. Two Savoie and Isère, the remainder of the season is also better than expected with a substantial flow of bookings last minute on January and February. But this trend is especially for stations of average mountain, less for those above. In addition, March could be the cost of an adverse European school calendar with a concentration of vacation areas. Uncertainty also remains last April and the Easter holidays.

"The never-seen!"

In the Pyrenees, the balance of the beginning of the season leaves the euphoric professionals. "For the week of the year, there have been 20 to 30 of days skiers in more than a good season, shows Hervé Mairal of the Pyrenees Confederation of tourism." It's a good surprise because we protect the economic crisis. "Pyrenean skiers wanted to reconnect with their passion after two years of low snow who developed the accounts of the stations in the red.

The Altiservice company, which operates six stations, has recorded a 30 increase in attendance from the ski lifts from last year. The tourism office of Saint-Lary (Hautes-Pyrénées) evokes even an increase of 38 of the revenue of lifts from the best season of the station, "of the never-seen!" At Font Romeu (Pyrénées-Orientales), the head of the office of tourism describes the use of "historic": "many traders say achieved their best turnover for twenty years." Capacity of accommodation of the stations have been used in full during the week of the year 1. And for the week of Christmas, occupancy rates ranged from 80 to 100 in foot runway and 50 to 70 in the villages stations.