Gilles Leonard: "Méribel has the advantage of being at the heart of the 3 Valleys".

The director of Méribel TourismGilles Leonard spoke to us about the 2023-2024 winter season, which is about to close on 21 April.

READ MORE: Méribel: resort, ski area, ski passes, addresses... Winter guide 2023/2024

How do you explain the appeal of Méribel and the 3 Vallées in general?

There are a number of factors, starting with the snow cover, altitude and the vastness of the ski area. And Méribel has the advantage of being right in the heart of the 3 Valleys. You can go skiing in the morning on Courchevel and start again on Les Menuires in the afternoon.

How would you sum up the 2023-2024 winter season?

We had a great season, with an 8-point increase on last year. Since the post-Covid reopening, we've been making steady progress, always doing better from one year to the next. In terms of visitor numbers, we're even above the pre-crisis figures. This is the result of the fantastic work carried out by our Destination Méribel travel agency, but also thanks to the involvement of all our departments, particularly the digital communications team.

"We haven't lost our French clientele, which remains the mainstay of our visitor base, but we have recorded 87,000 extra overnight stays, with a large proportion of foreign visitors.

What was the busiest period of the winter?

The start of the season was promising, with the Christmas holidays working well, but the peak was in February, at the beginning of the month. Overall, attendance was perfectly evenly spread over all the school holiday periods, with the weather often glorious.

The British clientele has historically been a strong presence at Méribel. Have they definitely returned since the crisis?

This is indeed the case, and we've even seen a new trend, with an increasing number of foreign customers since the previous season. We haven't lost our French clientele, which remains the mainstay of our visitors, but we recorded 87,000 additional overnight stayswith a large proportion of foreigners, including the British.

What are your main reasons for satisfaction and what would you like to see improved next season?

We're delighted with our welcome and the quality of the holidays we offer our customers. It's worth noting that many travellers turned their backs on the French resorts during the year of closure (in 2021 because of the Covid-19 epidemic, editor's note). to go skiing in Austria for example.

Our Belgian and Dutch customers have returned and given us excellent feedback, particularly on the quality of our facilities. Among the areas for improvement, we would like to keep our customers even better informed, through numerous newsletters, so that all the economic players stay informed.

What are the resort's future major projects?

In December 2025, we will be inaugurating the new Côte Brune cable car. This new lift will not only provide greater comfort, but also, and above all, greater throughput. It will make it possible to cover the whole of the 3 Vallées area more quickly.

Méribel offers a wide range of activities apart from skiing. Is this a strength that the resort wants to capitalise on in the future?

It's important to offer something for people who come to our resort to accompany skiers or who simply want to enjoy the mountains. With sledging, horse riding, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, ski touringThere's something for everyone. And above all, everyone can get together in the evening to share their memories and emotions over a nice meal. in one of our many restaurants.

"When you arrive in the resort, you are immediately captivated by the authenticity of the place, with its chalets and snow-covered fir trees.

The 2030 Winter Olympics will also pass through Méribel. How does this news inspire you?

This is excellent news for the resort and for all French resorts. We recently hosted a World Cup final in 2022, and then the Alpine Skiing World Champions in 2023, alongside Courchevel. Everything went perfectly. We have proved that we are capable of taking on major challenges. Customers, athletes, shopkeepers and all the economic players in the resort were satisfied. It's the best way to make the 3 Vallées shine around the world.

Why choose Méribel rather than Val Thorens, Les Menuires or Courchevel?

(He smiles) Quite simply for geographical reasons. We're in the heart of the 3 Vallées, so we can ski anywhere in a very short time. And when you arrive in the resort, you're immediately captivated by the authenticity of the place, with its chalets and snow-covered fir trees. It's a beautiful holiday image, attractive to our tourists.

The summer season is already gearing up for its big comeback. How do you rate the resort's summer visitor numbers and what are you expecting this year?

Here too, we are making progress from one season to the next. The Tour de France has made a major contribution to this. And people are increasingly attracted to the mountains in summer. It's a trend that's continuing. With Méribel 2038, the resort intends to embark on a plan for ecological and social transition, with a number of concrete actions that we will be implementing.

Cycling has become very popular in recent years, particularly in Méribel. Could it be as successful as winter skiing in the future?

We're thinking about a complete cycling circuit in the 3 Valleys. It's a serious project that we're working on. We can't compare it to winter sports, but mountain road biking is gaining ground in the 3 Vallées, with numerous itineraries. As is mountain biking. Now it's up to us to find a flagship product that will interest and excite our customers.