Absence of Snow Leads to Shutdown of Ski Regions in France's Winter Sport Destinations
Due to decreased snowfall due to climate change, two more ski areas in the French Prealps are shutting down. The Grand Puy area near Seyne-les-Alpes and the Alpe du Grand Serre south of Grenoble have decided to close shop for skiing. These areas, located between 1400 and 2200 meters high, have been dealing with less snowfall for years.
In Seyne-les-Alpes, around 70% of the locals voted in a local poll to dismantle the lifts and create new tourist attractions. The previous fish pond used for producing artificial snow will be transformed into a fishing lake. New trail tracks will also be laid out. The municipality of 100 residents was dumping around 350,000 euros yearly into the ski station, whose revenue had dropped by 60% over the past decade. The ski area, located between 1370 to 1800 meters high, has approximately 24 kilometers of slopes. The lift operation will cease as of November 1st, and the equipment will be sold off.
Mayor Laurent Pascal isn't concerned about a tourism decline. The ski slope visitors mainly come from the local area or have second homes in the region, and they will keep visiting the town, which also offers other activities, Pascal told BFMTV. Seyne-les-Alpes was the site of a Germanwings plane crash in 2015, which claimed 150 lives.
Abandoned ski resorts since the 70s
The Alpe du Grand Serre ski area, near Grenoble, used to have around 50 kilometers of slopes and offered around 200 direct and indirect jobs. The municipal council of the intermunicipal authority voted to scrap the lifts. "It's a tough pill to swallow, but we're not giving up and we're exploring new solutions together," said socialist MP Marie-Noëlle Battiste. Since 2017, the region has subsidized the ski station's operation with 2.7 million euros, as reported by the newspaper "Libération". There were plans to expand the station, which was established in 1938, for additional tourist activities, but these were financially unfeasible.
Less than three weeks ago, a ski area in the Jura announced it would close down nearly a third of its slopes. Since the 70s, approximately 180 unprofitable ski resorts have shut down in France. Climate change is a major contributor to the fact that, especially in medium-altitude ski resorts, there isn't enough natural snow. Producing artificial snow is costly, consumes a lot of energy, and is harmful to the environment.
The Commission, recognizing the challenges faced by these ski areas, may seek assistance from the Member States to develop strategies for adapting to climate change. Despite the closure, the Grand Puy area in Seyne-les-Alpes intends to leverage its history and offer new tourist attractions, such as the transformed fish pond into a fishing lake and new trail tracks.
