The Syndicat Intercommunal de la Grande Plagne (SIGP) has accepted the bid submitted by Société d’Aménagement de La Plagne (SAP), a 98% subsidiary of Compagnie des Alpes, to operate the world’s largest ski area. This decision follows a competitive tender process for the renewal of the Public Service Delegation (DSP) contract for the La Plagne area. This 25-year DSP covers the development and operation of the ski area (ski lifts and slopes) as well as the management of intra-resort shuttles and the bobsleigh track.
The Public Service Delegation (PSD) will begin on 11 June 2027 and represents a cumulative amount of approximately £4.5 billion over its duration, making it one of the largest ski area management contracts ever awarded in Europe.
The decision by the Syndicat Intercommunal de la Grande Plagne comes at a pivotal moment for the French mountain economy, with governance models undergoing profound redefinition across different regions. Some resorts are choosing to take back control of their ski areas and use them as a direct instrument of local policy. This is the emblematic case of Tignes, which in 2024 ended its historic collaboration with Compagnie des Alpes when the DSP expired on 31 May 2026.
This highly publicised transition symbolises an emerging trend: the diversification of ski area management options in France. Some areas now favour full public management, while others are focusing on long-term industrial partnerships.
In this contrasting landscape, the renewal of La Plagne’s DSP represents a clear strategic choice for the area, confirming its confidence in a model based on the expertise, financial stability and investment capacity of Compagnie des Alpes.
A historic contract for an exceptional ski area
With 2.6 million skier-days per year, 225 km of slopes, 95 ski lifts, 133 runs and 79% of the ski area above 2,000 m, La Plagne is a pillar of the Alpine tourist economy. Its high altitude and strategic connection to Les Arcs via the Vanoise Express (the world’s largest cable car when it entered service) ensure its long-term appeal and resilience in the face of climate change. According to CDA, this DSP ‘has been renewed under conditions of profitability in line with the Group’s standards’, sending a strong signal to both the markets and local authorities.
“We are particularly pleased and proud that SIGP has chosen Compagnie des Alpes’ bid to continue supporting it in the management of its domain until 2052. It is a decision that honours and obliges us. It is a testament to the quality of the work accomplished by SAP over the past decades. It also demonstrates that the teams at Compagnie des Alpes, SAP and its partners have been able to reinvent themselves to offer SIGP an innovative vision for the future of the La Plagne ski area.,” said Dominique Thillaud, CEO of Compagnie des Alpes.
‘For our shareholders, this public service delegation has been renewed under conditions of profitability in line with the Group’s standards and will therefore create value for all. Winning this iconic public service delegation was a major strategic challenge for Compagnie des Alpes, which wishes to remain a major player in the mountain sector and a privileged partner of local authorities and stakeholders, in line with our commitments and our raison d’être.’
David Ponson, Director of the Ski Areas and Outdoor Activities Division at Compagnie des Alpes, said: “First of all, I would like to thank and congratulate all the teams at SAP, particularly its Management Committee, as well as those at other Compagnie des Alpes entities, for their total commitment to this renewal of the DSP and for the richness and quality of the responses proposed in response to the new challenges of tomorrow, as envisaged in this call for tenders.
This new chapter further anchors Compagnie des Alpes in the mountains and reinforces the pride of our committed and passionate teams. Above all, this decision by SIGP is a magnificent recognition of our expertise and operational know-how in the mountain sector. We are therefore honoured to stand alongside them as we continue to build the future of this superb La Plagne ski area together.”
Why this DSP is decisive
One of the most significant arguments in favour of this new DSP is the natural configuration of the area: 79% of La Plagne’s slopes are located above 2,000 metres. This factor, highlighted in the official press release, is not insignificant: it is now one of the most reliable indicators of climate resilience for a ski area.
At a time when resorts at medium altitudes are questioning their future model, La Plagne benefits from a geographical location that reinforces the relevance of long-term investments. Snowfall forecasts, which are taken into account by local authorities and the Compagnie des Alpes, confirm that this high altitude base offers an operational guarantee for the next 25 years and beyond.
This high-altitude base, combined with the strategic interconnection with Les Arcs via the Vanoise Express, the backbone of the vast Paradiski area, not only maintains a robust skiing offering, but also secures the local tourist economy, which is largely based on the winter season. Added to this is the area’s ability to offer extensive, varied, multi-oriented skiing, suitable for all levels, with a topography that promotes an uninterrupted skiing experience across several municipalities (Aime-La-Plagne, La Plagne Tarentaise, Champagny-en-Vanoise).
La Plagne’s prospects are all the more promising given that other municipalities in the Tarentaise have recently made similar choices. Pralognan-la-Vanoise has just entrusted its next 25 years to Compagnie des Alpes, covering its entire ski area and its booking centre. This contract includes more than €50 million in planned investments to modernise the ski lift facilities, enhance the appeal of the resort village and develop a four-season offering consistent with the constraints of the neighbouring national park.
This second example illustrates a complementary territorial dynamic: some mountain areas consider it more effective to rely on an industrial operator with a global vision, significant investment resources and an organisation capable of simultaneously addressing operational, mobility, environmental and innovation issues. Thus, following the divergent choices made by Tignes, the decisions taken by La Plagne and Pralognan demonstrate that the French mountains are not evolving towards a single model, but towards a range of governance models adapted to local realities.
A stronger environmental commitment
The CDA reaffirms its commitment to achieving Net Zero Carbon (scopes 1 and 2) by 2030, an ambitious goal in the world of ski areas, where lift networks, vehicle fleets and piste maintenance are all sources of emissions. The new DSP thus becomes an operational tool to accelerate this decarbonisation: modernising equipment, managing snowmaking more precisely, reducing energy consumption and optimising daily operations.
With the introduction of the Travelski Night Express to Bourg-Saint-Maurice from 20 December 2025, Compagnie des Alpes intends to further decarbonise access to skiing and take concrete action on its scope 3. This train will run every Friday evening from Paris Gare de Lyon, arriving on Saturday morning in Tarentaise (Moutiers, Aime, Bourg-Saint-Maurice) . The return journey will depart on Saturday evening from Bourg-Saint-Maurice, arriving in Paris on Sunday morning.
This transition is also accompanied by a strong commitment to preserving the natural environment. The area covers sensitive zones, where alpine wildlife, ecological corridors and areas of high environmental value coexist. Commitments include limiting disruption, adapting facilities and regular ecological monitoring, in order to reconcile tourism with respect for wildlife.
The management of intra-resort shuttles, which is included in the scope of the DSP, also offers a decisive lever for reducing individual car use. The aim is to gradually roll out low-carbon mobility solutions that are quieter, cleaner and better coordinated, in order to improve traffic flow between the eleven resort villages of La Plagne and enhance the customer experience while reducing the carbon footprint.
In this context, the DSP awarded to La Plagne takes on its full meaning: it is part of a regional project based on stability, ecological transition, tourism diversification and the management of a complex ecosystem comprising eleven village resorts. The duration of the contract, the scale of the investment and the inter-municipal dimension give this DSP a structuring role for decades to come.
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