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Welcoming speech

Mrs. Françoise DEVOUASSOUX - President of the Tourism Summits, Chamonix Mont-Blanc, France

 

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I am deeply honoured and pleased to welcome you back this year to the Majestic for the opening of the 9th Annual Tourism Summits.

Real estate, a burning issue if there ever was one, will be the topic of all the debates. This is a hot topic that has had a tremendous effect on our valley, which has been a victim of its own tourism success, characterized by very high pressure in the real estate market and extreme tension in the primary residence market due the exponential rise in real estate prices.

This phenomenon has had serious consequences. Chamonix has lost 30% of its population in the last ten years, as people are no longer able to afford homes here and are forced to go further down into the Arve Valley. The same thing is occurring in schools, where there are fewer classes each year. This trend is a cause of great concern that, over the long term, will result in a loss of our local identity and the “small town” charm of Chamonix. This is already the case in the Aspen, Colorado, where each day, employees are transported by the busload to and from their homes, 50 km downhill of the resort.

Unfortunately, there is no shortage of examples of this kind of problem, which occurs in many tourist areas. My hope is that our enriching discussions and exchange of innovative experiences will help us to find the most appropriate solutions for our resorts, and that, just as we did for last year’s Summits on transportation, we will be able to publish a summary of our three days of work, during which time we will examine worldwide examples to guide us in surmounting our local challenges.

You will find the transportation summary at the reception desk.

I wish you all a very productive Summit.