The rise of the hospitality industry in the Alps

The mountains, a popular destination in winter and summer

After suffering the full force of the pandemic, the mountains are well and truly returning to their pre-crisis performance. A return to normality that began during the 2021-2022 season and was confirmed during the last season. According to the Observatoire National des Stations de Montagne (ONSM - National Observatory of Mountain Resorts), 58% of mountain professionals consider the level of visitor numbers to be fairly good, and 29% describe it as a good season.

This good performance was driven in particular by the return in numbers of foreign customers, especially from the UK, the Netherlands, Belgium and Switzerland. However, domestic customers were down 4% on the previous season.

In terms of accommodation, it would appear that tourists preferred hotels and village clubs to furnished accommodation and tourist residences. A similar observation was made by Sunweb, which reported a 10% increase in bookings for hotels and chalets, in contrast to a fall in occupancy rates for flats. Room reservations in 4- and 5-star hotels are also up, according to the tour operator.

These positive trends for mountain hotels are confirmed by Odalys, which operates establishments in the Alps and Pyrenees. Between December and the end of February, all its hotels and residences recorded a 2-point increase in occupancy, with the occupancy rate at 88%. This is 6 points higher than the 82% occupancy rate for all accommodation in the sector published by the ONSM. The group also recorded a 39% increase in sales compared with the pre-Covid period.

Also according to the Observatoire national des stations de montagne, the Alps are still ahead of the other French massifs, with a visitor rate of 77%. And it's not Sunweb who will be saying otherwise, since the 5 resorts most popular with its customers...