Although skiing in France has historically been a popular winter leisure activity, it now faces several major challenges: an ageing customer base, declining participation among younger generations, and rising costs associated with mountain holidays. These structural challenges are compounded by economic constraints: according to the testimonies gathered, it is becoming increasingly difficult for the average family to afford a skiing holiday during term time, given the rise in property prices in resorts and the shift in supply towards more upmarket segments.
Faced with these major challenges, the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Region, France’s leading mountain region with more than 8 million inhabitants and generating 30% of annual overnight stays in the entire mountain area, has chosen to adopt an ambitious and proactive strategy. Through Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Tourisme, its operational arm for tourism development, it has launched several innovative initiatives to make the mountains more accessible to young people and prepare for the future of skiing and mountain tourism.
At the forefront of this initiative, Laurent Cormier, Director of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Tourisme, emphasises the importance of a long-term vision: ‘Today, our resorts still enjoy good occupancy rates throughout the winter season. But if we don’t make a firm commitment to young people, customer renewal will be compromised in the medium term.’
Aware of the risk that a generational divide poses for the future of mountain tourism, he also emphasises: ‘We need to inspire, encourage discovery and facilitate access. Today’s youth are the key to the vitality of tomorrow’s tourism industry.’
Two flagship initiatives with the same goal: winning back young people
With this in mind, the Region has launched a series of structural initiatives aimed at democratising access to winter sports and introducing a new generation to the mountain environment. Two flagship initiatives illustrate this strategy:
- Départ 18:25, in partnership with the ANCV (Agence Nationale pour les Chèques Vacances) and the Essentiem endowment fund.
- The Emblème programme, trialled this year with the ESF (French Ski School), targets young people in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region.
‘The aim of these initiatives is to encourage young people with fewer resources to go to the mountains, but also those who are culturally distant from them to discover skiing,’ explains Laurent Cormier.
Départ 18:25: easier access to the mountains for young adults
The Départ 18:25 programme, set up in partnership with the Agence Nationale pour les Chèques Vacances (ANCV) and the Essentiem endowment fund, is a key lever for democratising access to the mountains for young people. This financial assistance can be up to £250, plus a £50 regional bonus specific to the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, covering up to 87% of the total cost of the trip. This scheme is primarily aimed at students, apprentices, young people on subsidised contracts or engaged in civic service, thus facilitating their discovery of winter sports at very affordable prices.
During the 2024-2025 winter season, 1,320 young people were able to take advantage of these favourable conditions to go skiing. This initiative is fully in line with the regional strategy aimed at introducing young people to the pleasures of the mountains and preparing the generational renewal needed in the Alpine tourism sector.
And the initiative doesn’t stop there: to extend the experience, a special offer has been launched as part of the Génération Montagne fund:
- 1 half-day ESF beginner’s lesson,
- 1 day pass,
- in 12 partner resorts in the region.
As Laurent Cormier explains, ‘the aim of these initiatives is to encourage younger people, who have fewer resources, to go to the mountains, but also those who are culturally distant from skiing to discover the sport.’
He also highlights the strategic importance of this initiative: ‘If we don’t take this younger generation into account today, there will be a gap tomorrow. We are seeing an ageing population of skiers in all our mature markets, and the aim is clearly to ensure a renewal of our customer base.’
Emblem: a free, supervised first skiing experience
In addition to the Départ 18:25 initiative, the Emblem programme was launched this winter in partnership with the École du Ski Français (ESF). This pilot project, specifically designed for young people in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, aimed to offer them a free, supervised first skiing experience.
Two major events marked this first edition:
- A Winter Opening in Alpe d’Huez, for a festive and immersive introduction to the mountains.
- A discovery day in Les Deux Alpes, during the season, designed to maintain the initial momentum.
A total of 2,600 young people took part in these events, including 420 beginners who benefited from a free ski lesson offered by the ESF. The carefully organised programme for these days – including welcome, supervision, introduction to skiing and discovery of the mountain environment – aimed to remove the psychological and material barriers to taking up the sport. For £24.90, members aged 16 to 25 were able to enjoy a day pass, a snack and numerous discounts in the resort.
As Laurent Cormier explains, ‘The idea was really to target beginners. Meeting them on site and offering them comprehensive support was essential to ensure they had a positive first experience of the mountains.’
The scheme was mainly aimed at young people from urban areas in the region, particularly Lyon and Grenoble, where there is sometimes a significant cultural divide between the mountains and the city, despite their geographical proximity. The profile of the participants confirmed that the target audience had been correctly identified: the average age was 20-21, corresponding mainly to the post-baccalaureate population.
The results are very encouraging: according to a survey conducted after the events, 97% of participants said they wanted to return to the resort. This high satisfaction rate illustrates the impact of the Emblem programme in building a positive and lasting relationship between young people in the region and the mountain environment.
Laurent Cormier emphasises the importance of this strategy for the future: ‘Our goal is also to encourage other ski schools to join the initiative, to offer a wider range of activities and consolidate this momentum.’
A strategic response to generational renewal challenges
The ageing of participants is a major concern for those involved in mountain activities. ‘In all our mature markets, there is a fear that this will not be renewed,’ warns Laurent Cormier. Indeed, with 30% of annual overnight stays in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes generated by residents of the region, it was becoming imperative to take action to ensure the next generation.
These measures therefore address several major challenges:
- Affordability, in a context where mountain holidays remain expensive for many families.
- Acculturation and discovery, by supporting those who have never skied before.
- Support for historic accommodation infrastructure, such as struggling holiday centres, which can welcome these new customers.
To this end, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Tourisme is also working in parallel with the junior networks of the two Savoie departments, Isère, Drôme and Auvergne to revive snow classes and holiday camps. This is all the more crucial given that the number of collective accommodation facilities has fallen by 10% in ten years, weakening the Alpine tourism ecosystem.
A firm commitment to continuing and expanding initiatives
Building on the success of this first experimental phase, the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Region is determined to continue and expand its initiatives for young people. The results speak for themselves: thanks to the Départ 18:25 and Emblème initiatives, more than 8,000 young people have been introduced to mountain activities. Among them, nearly 3,000 have actually taken part in a holiday or a discovery day.
In light of these initial positive indicators, Laurent Cormier sets out the roadmap: ‘This year, we have learned by doing. Our ambition is now to further structure the programme, in particular by involving ski schools more extensively and extending the initiative to other urban areas in the region.’
The stated objective is to triple the number of young beneficiaries within three years by consolidating existing partnerships and expanding the geographical areas covered. Closer collaboration with universities and student networks is also planned to reach the 18-25 age group more directly, using targeted awareness campaigns.
‘Young people are an essential resource for the tourism of tomorrow. If we want to maintain the appeal of our resorts and preserve the mountain economy, it is imperative that we invest today in acculturating young people to the pleasures of the mountains,’ concludes Laurent Cormier.
