“Ultimately, this decision threatens the future of tourism and jobs”: a ski resort closes 30% of its area and heads for disaster

D’année en année, la neige se raréfie sur les sommets. MAXPPP – /NCY

La guerre en Ukraine, une augmentation de plus de 400 % du volet énergie, puis un déficit de neige naturelle sur la saison 2023-2024 ont accéléré la fermeture partielle.

Faced with climate change, the alpine ski resort of Métabief (Doubs), the largest in the Jura massif, has announced the closure of 30% of its ski area, sparking strong protests. An online petition entitled “No to the closure of Piquemiette”, the name of the closed sector, had collected more than 3,800 signatures on Friday.

“This is a huge blow for the traders of Piquemiette and ski lovers in Haut-Doubs”, according to the petition. “Ultimately, this decision threatens the future of tourism and jobs in the entire resort […] if Piquemiette closes today, Métabief will close tomorrow", according to the signatories, who are asking elected officials“to keep their promises to ensure the climate transition without brutality”.

A transition has begun

The resort, located between 890 and 1,420 meters above sea level, is suffering the full effects of global warming and increasingly random snowfall. In 2015, its managers began a transition of the area into a four-season "mountain resort".

Economic reality set in faster than we thought

This approach was recently praised by the Court of Auditors, which also criticizes the overall economic model of French skiing, which is ill-prepared for the climate challenge. “We had established a method to prepare our teams and the resort's economic players, but in recent years there has been an acceleration phenomenon with the war in Ukraine and an increase of more than 400% in the energy component, then a deficit of natural snow for the 2023-2024 season”, explains Philippe Alpy, president of the Syndicat mixte du Mont d’Or (SMMO) which manages the resort.

Structural deficit

“Economic reality has set in faster than we thought and we have bitterly noted the August 20 that we had to resolve to close the Piquemiette sector", regrets Mr. Alpy. "If we had not taken this decision, the Doubs Departmental Council – which had to pay four million euros more than its initial commitment in two years – would no longer support us financially", he continues. Métabief, which has 40 km of slopes, announced on September 13 that it was suspending the operation of five ski lifts, or approximately 30% of its ski area.

This very sporty sector, which includes three chairlifts and two ski lifts over 40 years old, “generates only 20% of the overall attendance of the area”, while it “accumulates the most operating costs”, underlines Mr. Alpy.