Significant French ski resort facing closure due to snow scarcity, rendering it challenging to envision a prosperous future.
The ski resort at Alpe du Grand Serre in France's Isère region won't be operational this year following a council vote to halt funding for plans aimed at reducing dependence on winter sports, as announced by the council president on France Bleu radio.
This resort, situated close to Alpe d’Huez's higher altitudes, is among several European ski destinations grappling with an existential crisis due to climate change brought about by human use of fossil fuels causing warmer, shorter winters.
Faced with dwindling snowfall, the town advocated for Alpe de Grande Serre 2050, a plan aiming to upgrade ski lifts and the station for both summer and winter activities.
Marie-Noëlle Battistel, a member of parliament for the Isère region, highlighted the potential devastation of the resort's closure on local television station Télégrenoble the day before the vote, stating "The closure of the station would be catastrophic for the region. Nearly 200 jobs rely on it, and closing a station of this magnitude sends a disastrous message on a national scale."
On Saturday, 47 council members of Matheysine, which includes the resort, voted to terminate a contract with ski lift operator SATA Group. Only 12 members favored continued operations, according to information obtained by CNN from the council.
'No future prospects'
Council President Coraline Saurat revealed a 2.8 million euro investment towards turning the area into a year-round destination since 2017.
She noted that with winter snow becoming less reliable, completing the remaining project years was too risky due to an uncertain future.
"The risk associated with committing to two more years is substantial given the lack of future prospects," she told France Bleu on Saturday.
Saurat also complained about the absence of concrete support from the state for the resort's future or a transition plan. She earlier warned in January on France Bleu that the resort was facing a 7 million euro budget shortfall.
Alpe du Grand Serre's closure could foreshadow a grim future for numerous mid-sized alpine ski stations also grappling with falling snow levels, and contributes to a growing list of resort closures.
Over the weekend, the Grand Puy station in France's Alpes-de-Haute-Provence region also shut down permanently following a public referendum.
Last year, the town of La Sambuy, which manages a family ski resort near Mont Blanc, dismantled its ski lifts since its winter sports season had shrunk to only a few weeks and it was no longer financially viable to keep them operating.
Carlo Carmagnola, a snow researcher with Météo France who studies the impacts of climate change on ski resorts, had earlier informed CNN that 40% of ski resorts in the French Alps now depend on artificial snow to maintain operations. In Italy, it's 90%, and in Austria, it's up to 80%.
Despite the closure of Alpe du Grand Serre, which is regrettable for the local community and economy, affecting around 200 jobs, some positive news for those who love travel and stay updated on environmental issues is the increasing focus on transforming ski resorts into year-round destinations. This trend, driven by the challenges posed by climate change and dwindling snowfall, could lead to new opportunities for travel and tourism, potentially broadening the appeal of these regions beyond winter sports.
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