A number of French ski resorts have responded to the announcement last night by President Macron that ski areas will probably have to stay closed after the French lockdown ends next month until January by saying that although ski lifts may be closed, they’ll still be open for non-ski holidays.
This mirrors what happened in Australia during the southern hemisphere’s 2020 winter, when a number of ski lift operators closed the lifts, but the resorts themselves stayed open. The resorts concerned are typically larger year-round communities, rather than wintersports-only stations.
“Many of you have given us these past few days, your support in these difficult times. We sincerely want to thank you for this. The words of the President of the Republic still need to be clarified ′′ within the next ten days “. However, the prospect of a rapid opening in December seems to be moving away. As soon as the Government clarifies, we will let you know whether or not we are opening in December, or the prospects starting in January,” a statement from Alpe d’Huez (pictured above) today says, stressing their priority is safety, and continuing, “It will remain possible to come spend your Christmas holidays in the mountains, without being able to ski unfortunately but it will be possible to enjoy the wide spaces and the clean mountain air. The station is ready to welcome you, the shops will be open, and the restaurateurs are mobilizing to deliver nice hot dishes at home.”
Another large French Alpine community, Morzine, has issued a similar statement.
President Macron said he thought it was “impossible” that ski resorts could open for Christmas and new year but a final decision would be made within the next 10 days. He and the Italian prime Minister are among eu leaders calling for a united policy across eu nations on ski area openings this winter.
Bars and restaurants across France will remain closed into January. If the health situation allows it, restaurants will be allowed to reopen from January 20th but there’s no announcement yet regarding bars.