2005/2006 – A gloomy winter for Compagnie du Mont Blanc
Despite some fabulous snow this winter, the 2005/2006 season has turned out to be one that the Compagnie du Mont Blanc (CMB) will quickly try to forget. Their end of season turnover has come in €500 000 (1%) down on the same period last year and €2.5 million (7.5%) below the forecasted figures.
For Francois Bidaut, Head of the CMB, reasons for the deficit are circumstantial; a poor snow base at the start of season did no favours for the flagship area – the Grand Montets and resulted in the top sector not opening until the end of January. This was followed by too much snow during the February school holidays when 6 days of exceptionally bad weather equated to six days of closure for the main ski areas. Only the valley floor skiing at Les Planards, Le Savoy, Les Chosalets and La Vormaine was open during this time. “70-80% of the explanation for this winters poor performance can be attributed to the weather” estimated Bidaut.
However, he also recognises that questions must be raised on certain aspects of the CMB's operation. “Are we marketing the ski area sufficiently clearly? It can be difficult for tourists to navigate our relatively complex valley ski areas and transport system. Have we concentrated enough on capturing the foreign markets?” he asks. This brings us back to the big debate on how the resort is promoted.
Finally, there is the question of price. For Bidaut, the cost of the lift pass only represents 20% of the total average holiday cost. He believes that elsewhere advantage for the clientele lies more in the cost of accommodation. “In the Dolomites for example, accommodation is perhaps two or three times cheaper than here”. Nevertheless, the CMB understand that they have to improve the marketing of the resort and increase their target audience, most notably towards attracting more families.
Source: Le Dauphine
