The mountain tourism industry is undergoing radical change, driven by the need to adapt to new visitor expectations and climate challenges. At the forefront of this transformation, POMA, the world leader in cable transport, is reinventing the experience of ski resorts and mountain destinations. Thanks to cutting-edge technological innovations such as the Aeroline cabin and low-carbon transport systems, POMA is enabling resorts to offer much more than just skiing, by attracting visitors all year round. How are these advances redefining the future of mountain resorts?
Diversification of mountain tourism and innovation for resorts
The diversification of mountain tourism has become a crucial issue for ski resorts, which are seeking to adapt to new visitor expectations and ensure their economic viability throughout the year. Pierre Ract, Mountain Sales Director for France and Andorra at POMA, is well aware of these challenges: “The diversification of four-season tourism is important for us and above all for our customers. So we have to keep adapting, listening to their needs and coming up with innovative solutions’.
This need for diversification no longer only concerns winter sports, but also a summer and multi-season offer that attracts a wider public. ‘The challenge is to maintain the appeal of resorts beyond the ski season, by offering a variety of activities that enrich the customer experience, while meeting the new demands of sustainable development. This means innovating to offer alternative activities, as Pierre Ract illustrates with the new Aérolive cabin at La Plagne. ‘Sigma, the POMA subsidiary specialising in the design and manufacture of enclosed vehicles, has developed an “open” cabin that provides a unique, adrenalin-fuelled sensory experience throughout the ascent to the glacier’.
The innovation of the Aérolive cabin, which won an innovation award at the Mountain Planet trade show, is a concrete response to this trend. The economic challenge of diversification is also important. By making resorts attractive all year round, operators can stabilise visitor numbers, spread investment and optimise infrastructure use. In concrete terms, passengers, equipped with harnesses, are invited to enjoy a unique sensory experience, in complete safety. “This is an activity that can be enjoyed in both winter and summer. The sensations in winter, with its snow, cold and emptiness, will be different from those experienced in summer, with the emphasis on the change in relief and the variety of landscapes overflown ‘.
Pierre Ract also points out that this innovation is attracting international attention: “We have had customers, notably from China, who came to discover this World First at the Mountain Planet trade fair in Grenoble this spring, and found this innovation very interesting for their own diversification projects. We’re going to roll out a whole range of products linked to this diversification, based on multiple technologies.
Technological innovation at the heart of POMA’s flagship projects
Technological innovation plays a key role in the transformation of the ski lift and mountain tourism sectors. Pierre Ract talks about the importance of these innovative projects, which enable POMA to remain competitive and respond to the challenges of diversification and sustainability facing mountain resorts. ‘In France today, we are fortunate to have a fairly dynamic market in terms of the development of ski lifts, with eleven major projects completed this year, lifts featuring the most advanced technologies, such as the Jandri detachable cable car, which we are currently building in Les Deux Alpes, and which will be a technological showcase for our expertise’.
The POMA Group offers tailor-made solutions for complex projects. Pierre Ract looks back at the 3S Jandri at Les Deux Alpes, one of the most ambitious projects of the decade. “It’s a double-section lift, one of the biggest projects of the last ten years, with 32-seater cabins and stations fully integrated into the environment, linking the village to the glacier at 3,200 metres. This type of aircraft, designed for extreme climatic conditions, demonstrates POMA’s expertise in managing complex and demanding projects. We’re doing everything we can to make it a real benchmark and a showcase for French expertise.
Sustainability and energy efficiency
Sustainability issues are also at the heart of these innovations. POMA favours a local production model, with the majority of its technologies manufactured in France, mainly in the Rhône-Alpes region. ‘We want to promote our technologies around the world, while producing the vast majority of them in France,’ explains Pierre Ract. By reducing CO2 emissions linked to production and transport, POMA is contributing to more sustainable tourism, a major challenge for mountain resorts in the face of climate change.
The group is also developing solutions to improve energy efficiency and reduce the environmental footprint of infrastructures. ‘We have engines that enable us to achieve energy savings of 10 to 15%, and innovations to reduce the noise impact of vehicles running in stations’. In the same way, POMA is working on solutions to improve the longevity and maintenance of equipment, as demonstrated by their collaboration with Michelin on specific ‘tyres’ to reduce friction and extend the lifespan of equipment.
Finally, Pierre Ract returns to a major innovation: the autonomous operation of the aircraft, already successfully implemented at l’Alpe d’Huez and La Réunion. ‘It’s what we call the “E-pilot”, an agent-free operation, where the machine is autonomous in terms of operation, and the agents are there to welcome the customers’. This technology makes it possible to reduce operating costs while maintaining a high level of service for users.
Low-carbon transport and valley connectivity at the heart of the challenges facing mountain resorts and POMA
Connectivity between mountain valleys and resorts is a major challenge today. Pierre Ract stresses the importance of these links in reducing the environmental impact of travel to ski resorts: ‘Whether in summer or winter, the main source of greenhouse gas emissions for visitors to the mountains is their journey from home to their destination’.
POMA, as a major player in ropeway mobility, is striving to meet these challenges with low-carbon solutions. One emblematic example is The Valléen lift installed in Saint-Gervais, which provides complete intermodality between the different levels of the town, linked to the rail network. “The big innovation is at Saint-Gervais, where for the first time in a long time we have true intermodality with the rail network. The bottom station is located right next to the SNCF station at Le Fayet, so you can quickly transfer to the town of Saint Gervais and then on to the ski area in a carbon-free way.
The inclined lift solution links the Parc des Thermes to the centre of the village of Saint-Gervais, creating a transport network by cable and electric shuttles that also meets users’ expectations in terms of connectivity. ‘The idea is to have a completely meshed system that is as carbon-free as possible, either by cable or by electric shuttle and train,” explains Pierre Ract, underlining POMA’s commitment to supporting environmentally-friendly projects.
This type of project not only helps to reduce the use of private cars, but also creates sustainable mobility habits for all generations.
For POMA, these low-carbon mobility projects meet a growing need to facilitate access to resorts in an environmentally-friendly way. ‘ Little by little, this low-carbon mobility is being put in place, and I hope that it will find its place,” says Pierre Ract. However, he stresses that to maximise the impact of this infrastructure, it will be necessary to continue to develop complementary solutions, such as train and public transport networks, to make these destinations more easily accessible. ‘We still have to build all the complementary services, develop the trains… to make the mountains an easy destination in terms of mobility and accessibility’.
International projects and the development of urban transport solutions
The development of cable mobility solutions is no longer limited to ski resorts. Today, POMA is also making a name for itself in the urban transport sector, both in France and abroad. Pierre Ract talks to us about some of these projects: “We recently completed a project in the heart of the town of Luchon, where we replaced an existing lift that had been in operation for some thirty years, enabling access from the town of Luchon to the Superbagnères ski area to be maintained with a new, modern gondola lift that is perfectly integrated into its environment. We call this kind of link a ‘Valléen Lift’. The refurbishment and increased capacity of this lift demonstrate the relevance of cable-based mobility solutions for facilitating links between valleys and resorts.
Pierre Ract also points out that major events such as the 2030 Winter Olympics open up new prospects for low-carbon transport projects: “The 2030 Olympics could provide opportunities to develop mobility, for example in Courchevel and other destinations that are thinking about these complementary solutions.
Internationally, POMA is particularly strong in the urban transport sector. “We are pursuing many urban transport projects abroad. Among recent achievements, Pierre Ract mentions the multi-section gondola lift in Madagascar, several systems in operation in Santo Domingo, and contracts in progress in Ulan Bator in Mongolia. “These systems, mainly single-cable gondolas adapted to the urban context, are not only mobility solutions, but also drivers of economic development for cities.
POMA, towards sustainable integration into local communities.
One of the key factors in POMA’s international success is its ability to provide customers with support that goes beyond simply installing the equipment. “What we are developing is real support for our customers in terms of operation and maintenance. Often, in cities like Santo Domingo, it’s their first machine, and they don’t have the expertise to operate it. So we offer them full support, training local teams and providing technical operations.
This long-term support approach is a real strength for POMA. ‘We set up operating and technical maintenance subsidiaries, with a local team trained by us, and we use digital tools to facilitate learning,” explains Pierre Ract. Thanks to simulators, local teams can be trained even before the aircraft are commissioned. “The advantage of digital technology is that mistakes don’t cost anything, and you can learn without any pressure before moving on to the real thing. This method optimises lead times and enables competent local teams to be trained, while limiting risks.
POMA sees these operating contracts, which are generally signed for periods of between five and fifteen years, as an opportunity for long-term integration into the territories in which it operates. “We are committed to providing long-term support, strengthening local skills and bringing specific expertise to each project.
Growth prospects for the POMA Group and emerging markets for ropeway mobility
As a major player in cable transport, POMA is experiencing dynamic growth in several international markets. Pierre Ract emphasises the strategic importance of the United States in the Group’s current sales mix. “The most dynamic market today is the United States. It’s number one in terms of new aircraft sales, closely followed by France, which remains a very active market despite the challenges associated with snow conditions and climatic issues.”
It is interesting to note that, despite the environmental challenges facing resorts, France is maintaining a solid level of investment. This market continues to drive innovation and allows POMA to test new solutions. ‘Our customers expect solutions in terms of reliability, transition and diversification, and this really is a market where we can create innovations, pick up on trends and then roll them out on a larger scale.
On the international scene, POMA has identified several emerging markets, particularly in South America. ‘South America is dynamic, particularly in urban areas in the north of the continent, while snow remains predominant in the south, as in Argentina. Pierre Ract also highlights Africa as a major growth driver. “We’ve talked about Madagascar, and we’re looking to roll out more urban cable transport solutions throughout Africa. It’s a key growth driver for us, and we’re putting a lot of resources into it.”
However, the once buoyant Asian market is experiencing difficulties, particularly in China. “The fall in the Chinese market is a major challenge, and we have also lost the Russian market due to events in Ukraine. To compensate for these losses, POMA is turning to new opportunities in South Asia and the Middle East. “We have just received a major order from South Korea, a historic market for POMA, which had lost some of its momentum in recent years.
In a constantly changing national and international context, POMA has also refocused its strategy, under the leadership of Fabien Felli, Chairman of the Group for the past two years. ‘The idea is to continue to develop as a key player in low-carbon mobility by cable, while exploring other markets where our unique expertise in entertainment, such as large wheels or other more specific projects, will enable us to stand out from the crowd,” explains Pierre Ract. Innovation remains at the heart of POMA’s growth prospects, with solutions that go beyond traditional cable transport. “We want to explore new trends and shine with even more innovations.
To illustrate this new strategy, POMA recently unveiled a new visual identity. “We are launching our new logo and our new identity at the Domaines Skiables de France Congress. This symbolises our commitment to a new phase of development and innovation, in line with new markets and new expectations through 3 axes:
- Enhancing our position as a global player in mobility;
- Embodying our pioneering and daring spirit;
- Reflect our collective and human history’.
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