It was on this injunction that Fabrice Pannekoucke, President of Auvergne Rhône Alpes, justified at the EDV congress his region’s candidacy for the 2030 Winter Olympics.
Fabrice Pannekoucke did not escape the question from François Xavier Izenic, host of this edition, on the advisability of this candidacy despite the climate change which is particularly visible in the mountains.
The President of Auvergne Rhône Alpes took advantage of this platform to recall a certain number of tangible facts:
First of all, of the 21 billion euros in turnover generated by the tourism sector in its region, the mountains represent less than half.
Then, the approach to the mountain evolves to the point of presenting itself from a new angle capable of reinforcing its attractiveness: ” Skiing is no longer the only motivation for our tourists. They are looking for a more integrated experience with snowshoe hikes, dog sledding outings, guided tours of dairy cooperatives, etc. Our territory offers enough diversity to broaden the spectrum of activities. »
For Fabrice Pannekoucke, the future is far from being bleak as the 87% occupancy rate of the last winter season suggests. But what about the risk of a lack of snow in the coming years, insists François Xavier Izenic?
Even on this point our speaker wants to be optimistic. Everyone has an opinion on everything. In reality we demonstrate every day our ability to adapt. Mid-altitude resorts are banking on diversity. The use of artificial snow remains necessary to ensure skiing throughout the season. On this subject, we remind our detractors that it is only air and water! Finally, we know how to innovate and offer decarbonized mobility wherever the need exists ».
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The 2030 Olympics are to project the mountain as the showcase ” of responsible tourism in a virtuous environment ». The President of Auvergne Rhône Alpes insisted that all the constructions to prepare for the event no longer need to be done since it is enough to reuse those from the 1992 games.
Finally, the President of Auvergne Rhône Alpes concluded on societal changes: “The mountain is less viewed through the prism of skiing alone. While the latter remains a pillar of our economy, the motivation to understand our territory is growing. Discovery and curiosity is expanding from the resort to the valley. »
And to quote the mountain ” as an exceptional territory, a little bit all the time during this year and for all ” with for example the electric bike for the whole family, the countless festivals or to spend all together “as a tribute” the end of year celebrations.
