New rules for skiing in France herald the end of après – but capacity on the slopes will not be cut

Ski resort bosses in France have revealed a raft of Covid safety measures for holidays in the Alps and the Pyrenees this winter.

The biggest changes will be in restaurants and bars, where the future of traditional après-ski hangs in the balance. Venues will be required to only operate table service – meaning crowded terraces of partygoers drinking and dancing will be, temporarily at least, lost to the pandemic.

On entering a bar or restaurant visitors must wear a mask until seated. Tables will be distanced one metre apart or separated by screens to adhere to social distancing rules.

These rules shadow those that were announced in Austria last week, where Tourism Minister Elisabeth Koestinger  said: “There will be no après-ski as we know it from earlier times.”

Despite speculation, capacity on the slopes and on lifts will not be reduced in the Alps. In a panel discussion of industry leaders hosted by The Oxford Ski Company, Caroline Famy from Courchevel Tourism Office, part of the world’s largest ski area, Les Trois Vallées, confirmed that the number of skiers will not be hindered this season. “Of course the ski resort will open... we have already organised our sanitised measures and those will be adapted on the evolution of the situation,” she said.

“Regarding the ski lifts, there will be no restriction on the number of people per cabin, the only restriction you will have is to wear a mask in queue and in the lift.”

In France a number of new measures will be introduced in gondolas and on chairlifts, revealed as part of an infographic to simplify the new rules for guests. To ensure social distancing is maintained at all times there will be one-way systems, regular disinfection of cabins and chairs, often using fogging machines, sanitisation points at entrances and exits, and masks will be mandatory when queueing and riding on the lift.

Once on the mountain, were there will be no cap on the number of people, skiing and snowboarding naturally lends itself to social distancing. However, to further prevent crowds and queues, many resorts with the facilities to do so are encouraging visitors to pre-book their lift passes online and collect them from contactless machines on arrival. Tour operators also offer services where passes can be purchased in advance and delivered to chalets or hotels, without the need to wait at a ticket office.

“We want to reassure our clients that the French ski resorts will be fully open with no capacity restrictions in the ski areas. Skiing is of course mainly an outdoor activity and no face masks needs to be worn whilst actually skiing and during ski lessons. Both bars and restaurants, and ski rental stores will be open,” said Jean-Marc Silva, executive director of France Montagnes, the association for French ski resorts responsible for announcing the new rules.

A lot of the French ski resorts have been able to reopen during the summer months, when they welcomed walkers, climbers and cyclists to the mountains. This has given them experience and time to get new measures in place. Come winter there will inevitably be more to implement but bosses are confident the ski experience will not be any less enjoyable. “It’s not that different to life in the UK at the moment,” said Ken Smith from the Progression Ski School during Oxford Ski’s expert panel discussion.

Ski schools will also bring in new rules. Masks will be compulsory at the beginning and end of class, when traditionally large groups form at a meeting point. However they will not be required once the lesson is underway and the class is on the slopes. Individual ski schools may choose to limit the size of their classes, with many already operating maximum group sizes of four or six.

In equipment hire shops, where staff will be full training in regular disinfection protocols, masks will also be mandatory for customers. Equipment will be cleaned before and after use and skiers are again encouraged to book online in advance. Masks will also be required on ski buses and in all communal areas in hotels and apartment blocks. These rules follow the wider guidance in place across France.

As part of its latest announcement France Montagnes is also reminding British holidaymakers of the importance of having valid and sufficient travel insurance. “Please note that presently the EHIC (European Health Insurance Card) will not be valid for travel after December 31 2020, once the UK has left the European Union,” read a statement.