Between them it is common sense that command

A small revolution occurred on the counter of the wickets of lifts of the three valleys: a harmless trails plan modeling in three dimensions the aerial view of the area. For the first time since the creation of the site, fifty years ago, we discovered that the views of the maps proposed skiers artist had until then denied: the three valleys (Courchevel) Saint-Bon, Allues (Méribel) and Saint-Martin-de-Belleville (Les Ménuires, Val-Thorens) are each very different areas. "The tracks truncated plan granting each one-third of the surface materialize until then a functional reality, explains Thierry Auzet consultant, who has long worked on the promotion of the label.". The geography of the largest ski area in the world is an inseparable Assembly for stations who live.

Also known internationally as a brand of champagne, the three valleys produce fantasy Alpine since that in the 1940s, novelty and path interconnection opportunities on paper a great planner Laurent Chappis name imagined the son of the triptych. "The product is easy to sell, reflects an operator: a single sign is the range of offers which can be found in the mountains.". Luxury to student home, the three valleys can dredge all that the mountain has adherents, including the skiers.

A bonanza for the local economy

The argument cartonne especially to foreign customers: in tending the ear, can be heard up to 70 languages in the field, English in mind (the British are up to 40 of winter). Which seduced: green awareness of site (EUR 40 million have yet been invested last year in the protection of the environment) and his Gigantism. Connected by rare fact in the mountains peaks, the three valleys offer an astounding 62 metres downhill skiing at the foot, is seven times the height of Mount Everest; Besides immensity of off-piste area, which extends over an area of four times that of Paris intramural (45,000 hectares). "The three valleys have no equivalent in the world", said a representative of the House of the France, responsible for the promotion of domestic tourism products abroad. For the winter sports industry, it is a locomotive that records more than 6 million days-skiers every season, 11 of the total national.

With its attractive measurements, the site is dreaming all the mayors of mountain for a sustainable economic, rather rare in the reliefs. The operation of the ski area provides each season even the worst, with 2,000 guns to snow that can water the third runway 560 million euros in economic benefits in the three municipalities cover. "The three valleys are the lung of the TARENTAISE Valley," admits an economist of the Chamber of commerce and industry of Savoie. First employment: from November to may, the local Assedic virtually suspend their compensation with some 10,000 seasonal hirings conducted by tourism operators. "The white gold has revitalized our village, for example reflects André pleasure, the Mayor of Saint-Martin-de-Belleville. Young people remain, others arrive. We now expect 3.080 inhabitants, three times more than in the 1960s. "Winter tourism provides more than 5,000 direct jobs his commune. Assisted by regional ANPE, like its neighbours, it therefore place the red carpet to the seasonal, loyalty with pay above market, housing in station, buses pick-up and privileged offers. Premiums included, a perchman is rarely less than 1,400 euros.

Equipment of large-calibre

With the tax cash from the business tax, municipalities also have the means to invest as large cities. At these three, the villages of Saint-Bon - Courchevel (1,850 inhabitants), the Allues (1.870 inhabitants) and Saint-Martin-de-Belleville total equipment sized to 110,000 beds tourist, generally occupied more than 98. The field stations receive all offer after large-caliber ski to swim, sweat, skate, relax or be massaged.

Is exceptional in mountain valleys, generally protectionist: the fertility of the vein here led to alliances. "Professionals of the three valleys have a perennial ability to dialogue," like Pierre Josserand, who heads the Setam, one of the four lifts operating local companies. The system of distribution of income from the operation of the domain (EUR 100 million on average) is a model of its kind: each operator S3V (society of the three valleys), which manages La Tania, Courchevel and Méribel-Mottaret, Sevabel (Ménuires, Saint-Martin-de-Belleville), the Setam (Val-Thorens, Orelle) and Méribel Alpina (Brides-les-Bains), these last three subsidiaries of the company of the Alps retains for him only 30 of the turnover achieved by the sale of packages in its Windows. The rest is a fund that is redistributed based on the use of the domain.

"Entente cordiale".

Until the past year, it is a survey which allowed to measure. Since then, a free hand ticketing was installed on lifts all to more precisely track the "consumption" tracks. This game, there are winners (the stations of the top as Courchevel, which gets EUR 7.2 million in respect of the distribution), and the losers (such as the Ménuires, who see to escape much of their clientele to the Crown).

At the time of the accounts, but "entente cordiale" held each year the shock. One explanation is the regular intake of external expertise. Prior to be purchased by the Compagnie des Alpes, lifts the Ménuires and Brides-les-Bains has been of foreign shareholders in the region (Caisse des Dépôts for one, British investors for the other). Those of Courchevel were first brought by the Department.

Another reason for the complicity of managers: their curriculum. Apart from the President of S3V, Claude Faure, enarque, the leaders of the operating companies are all derived from Arts and crafts, and trained in fact against the general interest. "Between them, it is common sense that command." "Meetings are regular and they drop out the phone as often as necessary to address one point or another in the field", is an Assistant to City Hall.

The obsession of fluidity

While the competition specifies, Dolomites to any young Sochi Russian, which will host the Olympic Games in 2014, the entente cordiale shows all its virtues. "The sum of the investments made here leaves us with a slight lead," provides Claude Faure, S3V pattern. Since the creation of the first package 3 valleys and the corresponding label in 1971, more than EUR 1 billion has thus been invested in equipment in the field. Each year, operators still spend 20 of their turnover in the position. Their obsession: make it as smooth as on a highway traffic. The Setam has for example a cell with two engineers in full-time research to imagine new concepts that will be used to develop the specifications destined for builders. Since 1990, she has filed 25 patents, ranging from the control of the lift by electrical stimulation system to replace the sandbags used previously for the ESO (operation without operator) automatic gondola in Val-Thorens for 20 million euros of investment.

The result is measured on the ground by decisive benefits: up to 100,000 skiers can travel safely on the field, even with the third switching permanently from one Valley to another. Each of them will be only two hours in queues and the lifts for seven hours outside, either half less than in other stations more efficient. The argument is fly: 55 of sold packages are far more profitable 45 euros day that provide access to the entire domain.