The government is set to decide this Wednesday in a defense council meeting on the possible opening of ski lifts in early February. However, several media sources claim that the decision has already been made.
And for good reason: at the end of November, Emmanuel Macron had made the reopening of ski lifts contingent upon reaching a target of 5,000 daily infections. These days, we’re at about 20,000 cases per day. The problem is that the February holidays are approaching, and they are crucial for the already struggling mountain economy. This near-certainty has sparked great concern among economic operators and local elected officials who, needless to say, are greatly affected.
Leading the charge is Charles-Ange Ginésy, president of the Departmental Council, himself an elected official from the highlands and a professional in the ski industry:
“Without waiting for the official announcement, national media report a decision that does not allow for the opening of ski areas for the February holidays, effectively condemning the entire winter season. With mountain stakeholders – the National Association of Mountain Resort Mayors, French Ski Areas, Instructors’ Union – we have worked to welcome vacationers with strict health protocols, as well as implementing testing and vaccination centers against Covid-19.
The government’s successive decisions lead to a health absurdity by concentrating customers in village plazas and in the heart of resorts. Opening the lifts would allow for visitors to be dispersed. Moreover, the curfew at 6 p.m. creates massive returns to the coast within the same time frame. It’s completely incoherent!
With these decisions, the government is condemning our resorts to a blank year. An entire segment of the economy is affected. Shops, restaurateurs, hoteliers, lodgers of mountain resorts, and resort staff won’t recover, and local budgets won’t withstand it. The entire mountain community is in a state of deep misunderstanding.”
