Winter vacations 2024: ski resort attendance at a peak!
Winter vacation visitor numbers in mountain resorts rose by 3% year-on-year from February 10 to March 9, 2024, according to its Observatoire national des stations de montagne. The increase has been steady for several years, a sign that holidaymakers are continuing to fall in love with the mountains in winter.
France is the world’s second-largest winter tourism destination, and mountain tourism accounts for 22.4% of overnight stays in France, according to a report by the Cour des Comptes, published on 06/02/2024.
The mountains in winter attract tourists for a number of reasons, combining aspects linked to nature, leisure activities and the warm atmosphere this time of year offers.
- Winter sports: in winter, the mountains are the ideal playground for winter sports enthusiasts.
- Dreamlike scenery: snow-covered peaks, forests and valleys create enchanting winter landscapes. The mountains offer breathtaking panoramas that attract photographers and nature lovers alike.
- Festive atmosphere: Winter is often associated with festive seasons, such as Christmas and New Year’s Eve. Mountain resorts create a festive atmosphere with Christmas markets, light decorations, special entertainment and fireworks, attracting families and couples in search of warm, convivial moments.
- Escape and disconnect: away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Tourists seek to disconnect from urban stress and enjoy a calmer, more soothing environment.
- Unique experiences: Winter in the mountains offers unique experiences not available elsewhere. Special activities such as outdoor Nordic bathing, dog sledding, igloo evenings and canopy tours attract travelers in search of new sensations.
- Cosy accommodation: Mountain lodgings, whether chalets, gîtes or hotels, are often designed to create a warm and welcoming atmosphere, which is particularly attractive to tourists seeking comfort and conviviality.
New residences, new hotels, new ski lifts and new slopes: this year again, there’s a whole host of new developments in Alpine resorts. Real estate continues to spearhead the development of ski resorts, with an ever-increasing number of top-of-the-range properties.
Several high-end or luxury chalets are opening this winter in the 3 Vallées: Célénia in Méribel, White Sand in Courchevel, Le Bois de Barme also in Courchevel, and Chalet Mouët and Chalet Constantia in Saint-Martin-de-Belleville.
Let’s face it, real estate investment in the mountains remains relevant.
- The effects of climate change have not affected the mountain real estate market, which remains dynamic;
- Ski resorts have succeeded in their tour de force: developing, alongside skiing, other sporting, cultural, culinary and summer activities;
- The mountains are your winter and summer destination! The mountains are attracting more and more French and foreign tourists;
- Larger properties, such as chalets and half-chalets, are very popular in the Alps;
- While older properties still appeal in the mountains, new-build properties are gaining ground.
New chalets and half-chalets, for example, feature heated indoor swimming pools, saunas, spas, hammams and well-equipped gyms. Services that meet the needs of customers who don’t come to the mountains just to ski!
