Post-Games skiing culture

Covering two thirds of the French Alps, the region welcomes millions of visitors every year. That is thanks in large part to the boost that Albertville 1992 gave its tourism industry, which had stagnated in previous years. Home to the world’s most-frequented ski resort in La Plagne and two other resorts in the global top 10 – Les Arcs and Val Thorens – Savoie Mont Blanc successfully markets itself as a brand to skiers and tourists from Europe and further afield.

They have come in ever increasing numbers since 1992. Visitor figures for winter 1993 were 8 per cent higher than the 1989 total. In the 2018/19 season, some 41.1 million hotel nights were sold across the region, compared to 38.8 million in 1994/95.

Part of Savoie Mont Blanc’s appeal lies in the range of activities and leisure pursuits on offer. Downhill skiing is available at 98 of Savoie Mont Blanc’s resorts and Nordic at 78, with snowshoeing, dog sledding, off-piste skiing and sky diving among their other attractions.

Resorts have developed their urban infrastructure over the years, making improvements in housing, telecommunications, water, sanitation, solid-waste disposal, healthcare and other public amenities. Prior to the Games, sewage and waste-water treatment was an issue in some resorts. In Tignes, for example, waste water was discharged straight into local streams. The creation of the necessary infrastructure in advance of the Games has increased the quality of both the resort’s drinking water and lake waters.

Conscious of the negative environmental impacts resulting from their expanding operations, the resorts are increasingly committed to mitigating them. Measures include stricter planning rules, lower-impact construction methods, a transition to low-carbon technologies and processes, and biodiversity protection. Val d’Isère, for example, now boasts a vast, state-of-the-art underground snow-creation facility at the foot of the Bellevarde slope, greatly reducing power usage.

Instead of using snow cannons, Les Saisies – the venue for the cross-country skiing and biathlon events – now uses the snowfarming technique to preserve its snow. At the end of the skiing season, existing snow is piled up and covered with sawdust to prevent it from melting during the summer months. In preparation for the winter season, the snow is then spread back on to the slopes.

And in September 2015, Tignes received the Green Globe certification for its efforts to promote sustainable tourism. Awareness has also increased among visitors, who are reminded to leave no trace of their stay in the mountains.