France is optimistic about the prospects of the snow tourism market. The reporter recently learned from the French Tourism Agency that the 2022 French Mountain Tourism - Ski Destination Expo will be held in Chambéry, the French Alps, on March 1 and 2, and preparations are currently being carried out in an orderly manner. This will be the first ice and snow-themed international tourism expo to be held in France since the outbreak of the new crown pneumonia epidemic.
At present, the Beijing Winter Olympic Games are in full swing, driving the rise of ice and snow sports in the whole people. The International Development and Cooperation Department of French Ski Resort continues to be optimistic about the development of China's ice and snow industry and looks forward to extensive and in-depth cooperation.
As the host country of three Winter Olympic Games in history, France has unique natural resources in the ice and snow sports mountains and a deep and long-standing ice and snow culture.
France sits on 21% of the Alpine area, the amount of snowfall ranks among the highest in the world, and the mountain altitude difference is large, the terrain is extremely diverse, and there are natural glaciers, forests, lakes frequently dotted among them, which increases the fun of skiing. The world's largest ski area, the French Three Gorges Ski Area, is located in the Alps. The ski area is a combination of 8 ski resorts, with a total length of 600 kilometers of slopes, which are connected by a cable car, no other means of transportation, and a single snow ticket can be used to slide the entire Three Canyons snow area. Not only is the ski field large, but the price of the snow ticket is relatively low, and there are many types of multi-level hotel accommodation to choose from, and the comprehensive cost performance is very high.
In France, skiing is not just a winter sport, but a seasonal lifestyle. The French Alpine region is not only ski slopes, traditional Alpine pastures and ancient villages, authentic Savoyard mountain food and wine, night skiing, helicopter tours, snowshoeing, dog sledding, snowmobiling, snowboarding, snow mountain paragliding, ice climbing, under-ice diving, outdoor heated outdoor pools, snow mountain parties... There is a wide range of snow activities to offer.
Each ski resort is a unique presence, with its own style and character. For example, the Twin Alps Ski Resort, located at an altitude of 1,650 meters above sea level, has the largest glacier skiing area in Europe and is an all-season ski resort, even in the summer. It is also a summer training ground for the world's multinational alpine ski teams. Located at an altitude of 1,860 meters, Apudulez is world-famous for hosting the classic climbing stage of the Tour de France in summer and the world-class electric syllable festival "Tomorrowland Winter" in winter; the Valley of The Greens Valley, a paradise for powder snow lovers, reaches a maximum altitude of 3,230 meters, the highest peak reached by European ski lifts; the Les Arcanes has erected an aerial cableway at an altitude of 2,600 meters and has built an alpine zoological museum in cooperation with Vanos National Park.
Four of France's 11 national parks are located in mountainous areas, and the development strategy of "sustainable" mountain tourism destinations will be one of the important topics of this expo.
France has launched a "Green Snowflake" certification system to create a "sustainable" snow and ice tour destination. Obtaining this certification requires the evaluation of more than 20 sustainable development indicators, including the protection of biodiversity, the scientific regulation of snow weather, the recycling of wastewater and garbage, the strategy of sustainable development of the four seasons of the snow field, and the harmonious development of the snow field and the local economic and social environment. It also promotes "responsible travel methods" for tourists, advocating that tourists enjoy travel and vacation in a way that integrates into the local natural environment, so as to minimize the burden of travel consumption on the local ecological environment. Specific measures include: living in the mountains, eating in place, promoting mountain activities that do not require mechanical assembly and motors, such as snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, etc., and returning the original tranquility of winter to hibernating animals.
Regarding the Cooperation between France and China on Ice and Snow Tourism, Jacqueline, sales representative of Les Salk Ski Resort, said: "I visited many ski resorts and ski clubs in China in 2019 and felt a lot. Since Beijing's successful bid to host the Winter Olympics, the vigorous development of China's ice and snow industry has been obvious to all. Before the outbreak, the number of Chinese tourists received by LesAlk Ski Resorts grew rapidly, many of them snowboarders. ”
Nathalie GROSSE, sales director of Thorens Valley Ski Resort, believes that the Chinese market is the most potential in the world tourism market, and China's "ski population" is growing day by day, and the future development prospects are promising. She said that there is a lot of room for cooperation between French and Chinese tourism operators in "cultivating youth skiing, developing youth ski clubs, and holding official youth skiing events". France has a lot of experience in skiing initiation and professional education that can be shared with its Chinese counterparts. In France, obtaining a ski instructor license requires at least 5 years of professional study, followed by a rigorous national examination system, so France has a great advantage in the experience of talent and talent training in the ice and snow industry.
Anthony Guzman, commercial director of The Abdulez and Shuang alpine Ski Resort, said that the rapid development of China's ice and snow industry is a very good boost to the development of the global ice and snow tourism industry. People's consumption concepts and needs have changed, and after the end of the epidemic, retaliatory consumption will further stimulate the ice and snow tourism market. "I believe that in the future, ice and snow tourism will be diversified and comprehensive, not only reflected in leisure vacations, but also ice and snow event tourism will also be a branch of future development."
In order to strengthen further cooperation between France and China, in December last year, the French Tourism Development Agency held the last large-scale tourism event in 2021, the 2021 Online Tourism Promotion Conference. Representatives of the French tourism industry and more than 200 Chinese tourism partners held lively exchanges and discussions online, with a total of 959 online negotiations during the week. (Author: Wu Wei, reporter of this newspaper; Editor: Yang Shuo)