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IN BRIEF
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At a time when the world is questioning environmental issues and leisure practices, sociologist Jean Viard proposes an innovative vision for February holidays. He suggests establishing a fixed vacation week for all students, accompanied by a flexible week that each family could choose according to their needs. This ambitious reflection calls into question our approach to school holidays while trying to balance the economic needs of ski resorts and the leisure practices of the French.
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A fixed vacation week: a clearly defined framework #
Jean Viard’s idea is based on establishing a uniform school vacation week. By defining a fixed period, it would allow families to plan their stays and optimize their leisure time. This stable framework could facilitate the organization of schools, as well as tourism businesses, which could adapt their offers accordingly. By making this common and predictable calendar, industry players could better plan their activities and develop relevant offers for families.
A flexible week: a response to individual needs #
The second part of Jean Viard’s proposal is based on the idea of a flexible week. This flexibility would provide significant opportunities for families to choose when to take their holiday during the winter. The goal here is to allow parents to organize themselves more according to their preferences and personal constraints. Thus, they could choose to leave when conditions are ideal, particularly when there is snow and prices are more accessible.
The observation: evolving leisure practices #
In the face of climate change, Jean Viard draws attention to the evolution of leisure practices. Ski resorts, which have long been popular among vacationers, are seeing their future reinvented. Indeed, with warmer temperatures, the amount of snow and the frequency of falls is decreasing. This could jeopardize the appeal of certain resorts, particularly those at low altitude. The reflection on winter holidays thus becomes a crucial subject, intertwining both local economy and French behaviors towards the mountains.
The economic challenges of ski resorts #
Ski resorts represent a significant economy, especially for regions like Savoie and the Southern Alps. It is vital for these areas to adapt to new consumption dynamics. Jean Viard emphasizes that less than 10% of the French regularly go to the snow, which complicates the sustainability of these mountain economies. By instituting a flexible week, this proposal could also help alleviate congestion at certain sites by distributing tourist flows throughout the season. This would allow for more predictability and profitability for local businesses.
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Towards modernizing access to the mountains #
For Jean Viard, it is essential to think about the future of the mountains. The question is not simply to welcome a greater number of tourists, but to reinvent how they interact with the mountain environment. By developing public transport and encouraging sustainable practices, it would be possible to bring new life to ski resorts. Imagine resorts where, once on site, it would be possible to move around without using one’s car thanks to free electric shuttles. This would be a significant advancement in our way of thinking about vacations and tourism.
An invitation to rethink winter holidays #
Jean Viard’s proposal does not only suggest modifying the school calendar but invites a broader reflection on our leisure practices and our relationship with nature. By considering a reorganization of winter holidays, it is a matter of asking pertinent questions about the future of ski resorts, the impact of climate change, and how we want to live our rest periods. The flexibility of holidays would then be an opportunity for families while supporting an economy that must learn to adapt to contemporary challenges.
