“We are making a month of February of anthology”, enthuses Pascal Bergero, director of the ski lifts of the Portes du Soleil Switzerland, interviewed by Keystone-ATS. However, he does not wish to articulate figures. What to catch up with Christmas and the first two weeks of January.
Once there is snow, “it’s the weather that sets the tempo”, he adds, noting the particularly high number of sunny days this past month. The season which promises to be “good” will not, however, equal “the excellent past year”.
In Ovronnaz, the situation is similar: the 20% drop in attendance recorded during the end-of-year celebrations compared to the previous year was directly offset in January and February. “If the month of March is correct, we can speak of a good season”, summarizes Gianluca Lepori director of Téléovronnaz.
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Satisfied Vaud resorts
In the Vaudois Alps, the intermediate balance is also described as “good” in the resorts of Villars, Gryon and Les Diablerets.
“We are happy with this season so far despite a complex start. There are many people in the resorts, hotel reservations are good, we have managed to maintain quality snow and the weather is fine” , summarizes Sergei Aschwanden, director of the Vaud tourist destination Bex-Villars-Gryon-Les Diablerets.
The manager has not yet observed any decrease compared to other years. “That’s absolutely fine,” he said. He obviously does not hide that he would be delighted to have snowfall before the end of the season.
In Leysin too, the situation is good. “There were a lot of people at Christmas and Spring Break, not to mention the school camps between the holidays. It’s generally full,” says Alexandre Belogi, marketing and communication manager for the tourist association Aigle-Leysin- Col des Mosses (ATALC).
“Year horribilis” for the Jura Arc
Smaller resorts or resorts located at lower altitudes, without artificial snow, on the other hand, experienced a more difficult winter: some started the season late, due to the lack of snow, or have already had to close their slopes.
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The situation is particularly tense in the Jura Arc. “It’s a horribilis year,” Jean-François Léchot, president of the Jura Arc lifts, which has 16 companies, told RTN on Friday. The season is among the five worst years since 1998.
According to him, the introduction of snow cannons might be a solution, but would represent “a real challenge”. This would require financial means, that it be cold enough, authorizations and technical conditions for access to water.
ats/asch
