There was a time when “winter sports” in Dutch and Belgian households was synonymous with the French Alps. Val Thorens, Val d’Isère, Les 3 Vallées — those were the natural choices. Over the past ten years, demand quietly shifted towards Austria, followed by a strong rise of Italian ski destinations. France faded from view a little.
Our own Snowplaza data shows that interest in French winter sports destinations in the NL/BE market has grown by +28 % in the past year (YoY 2025). That’s not noise — that’s a category shift. For anyone active in travel marketing towards the Netherlands and Belgium, this is the moment to pay attention to what’s happening in the French Alps. Five trends explain the return, and together they paint a clear picture for the upcoming season.
1. Value beats Switzerland
The biggest driver sits in the wallet. Swiss ski areas offer unmistakable quality, but the total holiday cost (accommodation, ski pass, food, dining out) is around 25 to 35 percent lower in France. For a family of four, that adds up quickly. At a time when many Dutch and Belgian households are more careful with holiday spending, France suddenly reappears as the “quality alternative” — not as the cheap choice, but as the smarter one.
2. France has the world’s largest ski areas
Les 3 Vallées with 600 km of pistes, Paradiski with 425, Espace Killy with 300 — nowhere else in the world offers this many kilometres under a single lift pass. For the experienced skier, that’s an obsession. And it’s precisely that experienced skier who is overrepresented in our data on French content. Where the Austria audience mainly searches for “cosy village” and “après-ski”, the France audience searches for “piste kilometres”, “compare ski areas” and “largest ski area”. Two different use cases, two different content needs.
3. High-altitude Alps offer certainty in an uncertain climate
Val Thorens sits at 2,300 metres. Val d’Isère at 1,850. Tignes at 2,100. These numbers gain value every year. While lower-lying Austrian and Italian areas are gradually seeing their snow reliability decline, the French high-altitude Alps hold their season well — with natural snow as well as a highly developed snowmaking system. For NL/BE travellers who book three months ahead and want to minimise the risk of “no snow”, this is a concrete purchase argument.
4. New audience: après-ski, design and gastronomy
Beyond the traditional ski family, we see a new audience emerging that specifically chooses France: thirty- and forty-somethings without children (or with older kids) who combine skiing with design hotels, French mountain cuisine and high-end après-ski. Val d’Isère, Méribel and Morzine-Avoriaz come up above average with this audience.
What stands out: this audience has higher spending willingness, lower price sensitivity and prefers to book directly with the hotel or ski area rather than through a classic tour operator. For destinations and hotels, that means: owning your visibility directly to the audience pays off.
5. The classic driving distance is an underrated advantage
Amsterdam to Val Thorens is 9 hours by car. Brussels to Les Arcs is 10 hours. Frankfurt to Chamonix is 6 hours. These distances are not new, but in communication towards the NL/BE audience they’ve faded a bit in recent years. While it’s exactly this — the ability to travel with your own skis, your own luggage and your own pace — that’s the reason many families stick to a car-based holiday. There is a marketing opportunity in making this advantage prominent again. A simple map showing driving times from three major cities to three French destinations does more for conversion than ten banner impressions.
What does this mean for French destinations and their partners?
The numbers show category momentum. But categories don’t stay open by themselves. DACH destinations (Austria, South Tyrol, Switzerland) have continuously invested in NL/BE visibility over the past ten years — through native, video, newsletters and targeted campaigns. French destinations have done far less of that, with a few exceptions. That means right now: relatively little supply, sharply rising demand. For French tourism boards, resort holdings such as Compagnie Des Alpes, and individual hotels in the French Alps, this is the moment to claim space — before the competition wakes up and cost per click starts to climb again. At Spalder, we’re currently working on several France projects for the 2026/27 season, via the combined reach of Snowplaza.nl/.be and our other NL/BE platforms. If your destination or hotel isn’t involved and you do want to seize this window: let us know.
Conclusion
The numbers are clear. The audience is there. The competition in the media space is limited. For French destinations that want to activate or return in the NL/BE market, the next six months are the most promising moment in years.Whoever is visible in the autumn of 2026 — with a strong message, the right channels and a long-term approach — will benefit the most. The French Alps are back. The only question is who gets there first.