Posted on 06 July 2012

France is to aim to recapture its position as being the world leader in the skiing market, according to a group of French Mountain professional organisations. The France Montagnes Association was set up in 2010 and consists of three separate professional organisations which are the Association Nationale des Maires des Stations de Montagne, Ecole de Ski Francais, and Domaine Skiables de France.

The main purpose of the Association is to help promote French mountain resorts to various different markets. It aims to do this through a combination of events, media relations and communications. According to the director of the Association, the past two years have seen the United States pull ahead of France in the skiing market. The Association’s objective is now to try to reclaim its market share.

At the moment the United States has around 60 million ski days each year, while France has around 55 million ski days annually. The France Montagnes Association has a global budget of €3.5 million, and has a number of events and marketing campaigns designed to attract more skiers to French resorts. These include the Fete du Ski, and the Fete de la Montagne.

While the United States may be an attractive destination for many skiers, France will always be popular due to its easy access. It’s just a short flight away, enabling skiers to get on the slopes that much quicker without having to get over jetlag, and without having to spend an excessive amount on airfares. It’s far easier for second home owners to enjoy their properties year-round, and of course Europe will always have something that the United States can only aspire to, and that’s a sense of history.