The cable car and ski lift market - France

A ski lift is a mechanically guided motorized means of transport, usually used outdoors and specifically designed to overcome either a slope or a generally natural obstacle.a ropeway is a motorized, mechanically guided means of transport, usually used outdoors and specifically designed to overcome either the slope of a terrain or a generally natural obstacle. Cable cars are all types of telecars, i.e., all categories of ropeways that havethey are all types of ropeways with aerial vehicles, such as chairlifts or gondolas. The operation of cable cars and lifts mainly concerns ski resorts and some high mountain towns to access the most remote points. These are aerial cableways that are needed in mountainous areas. Winter sports represent a considerable market in France, one of the top winter tourist destinations in the world. Each year, more than 50 million skier-days are registered in France . However, the lack of snow has caused ski resorts' revenues to drop in recent years. France is the country with the largest number of ski lifts and cable cars. In fact,France has 17% of the world's ski lifts and cable cars. The business is conducted over a very short operating period (95% of sales are generated in five months), which shows the significant seasonal nature of the market. It should be noted that the sector is highly concentrated and is made up of a handful of players of sufficiently large size to be able to compensate for this seasonality. In parallel to the ski resort segment, the urban cable transportation segment continues to grow. Indeed, this mode of transport is perceived as an interesting alternative to traditional mobility solutions, allowing to decongest cities and to propose a more ecological offer. The scope chosen will focus on the first sub-segment, which represents the largest share of the market. As the passenger transport business is subject to the rules of public service delegation, operators operate as concessions. While full ownership of facilities is the norm in most countries, French operators are mixed economy companies. In addition to this special legal status, there is the recent challenge of sustainable development to achieve greener transportation systems.