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In Alpe d’Huez (Isère), the reservation rate reached 80% for the month of December. Professionals in the sector want to be optimistic but remain cautious.
Blue sky, sun, and 30 centimeters of fresh snow, everything was there for the successful reopening of ski resorts. This was without counting on the epidemic rebound, which forces professionals to remain vigilant. In one of the ski rental shops in Alpe d’Huez (Isère), if the number of reservations is comparable to those before the crisis, caution is in order. “We’ve been expecting everything lately. We know that everything can stop suddenly.”, underlines the manager, Aurélien Chabot.
The same state of mind among hoteliers: with the arrival of the new variant, the establishment has recorded a few cancellations. 50% of the clients of the Alpes d’Huez are foreigners. The station must be able to adapt to all health constraints. “We are adding an ephemeral test center for foreign customers who need a test to leave France”, explains the director of the Tourist Office. The health pass is compulsory on the slopes under penalty of having your ski pass canceled. The station is formal: the staff will carry out random checks.