French skiing resorts express their concern about the lack of snow caused by climate change, as the hotels stayed only half full during the hot February season.
They say that the snow was very rare under the altitude of 1,500 meters.
Thus business owners in attempt to save their business fall back on other touristic activities, artificial snow or even start offering all-year-round-activities.
Some ski businesses resorted to alternative activities like spa, wellness, culture tours in order to allure new clients. Another «trick» used to attract tourists was artificial snow, which is reportedly not very sustainable as it demands below-zero temperatures, consumes much water and electricity and is quite costly.
Trying to bring pistes to higher altitudes wasn’t successful as environmentalists drew the attention of the resort owners to the damage it may cause to nature.
Thus, some resorts decided to invest in building more facilities to attract tourists all year round, such as summer pools, conference halls and so on.
According to the reports, this year's winter was the warmest in France since 1900.
Official meteorological data show that the average temperature in the Alps, which is the most popular place for skiers, has risen of 2 degrees Celsius since the 19th century.
About 10 mn tourists visit France for skiing generating 10 billion euros in revenues and creating some 120,000 jobs annually.
France is among the world’s top skiing destinations, along with Austria and the United States.
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