French ski resorts bounce back: strong demand despite travel hiccups

French ski resorts defied expectations during the 2026 winter season, with occupancy rates reaching 80% through February and early March, according to the National Observatory of Mountain Resorts (ANMSM). This resilience comes after a year of disrupted Travel patterns and highlights a deep-seated appetite for skiing in the Alps.

Core weeks drive success

While the season experienced some early headwinds due to overlapping school holidays, particularly in the weeks surrounding February 7th, visitor numbers surged during the core period of February 14th to 28th. Occupancy in these key weeks surpassed 90%, a notable improvement over the previous winter. Jean-Luc Boch, head of ANMSM, emphasized this strong performance, attributing it to both favorable snow conditions and proactive safety measures.

The winter proved to be exceptionally well-snowed, with consistent snowfall across all mountain regions. Between February 7th and 25th, skiers enjoyed reliably favorable trail conditions, especially above 1,200 meters. This allowed for excellent conditions for both alpine and Nordic skiing, boosting participation across a range of winter activities.

Overseas visitors fueled the resurgence, with international overnight stays up 3.7%, contrasting with flat domestic tourism. Spain saw the largest increase among key source countries, with a 13.2% rise in visitors, followed by the United States (+11.1%) and Belgium (+8.3%). The UK maintained its position as the top source market, with a 1.5% increase in tourist numbers.

Notably, mid-elevation resorts benefited from the shift in demand, distributing visitors more evenly across regions and easing pressure on higher-altitude areas. The trend is continuing into spring, with bookings for March rooms already 8 points higher than last year. These numbers suggest sustained demand throughout the remaining weeks of the season.

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