But since this autumn these buyers are more scarce

Elected representatives and stakeholders of the mountain are long convinced that new construction is no longer a priority in the development of winter sports stations. "To avoid that the number of"cold beds", i.e. never rented housing, weighs on the commercial offer of the station and its image, it quickly engage in a restructuring of habitat aging", says Michel Bouvard, MP for Savoie. "In the French stations, from 30 to 40 rentals are obsolete in surface and equipment", regretted Gilbert Blanc-Tailleur, Mayor of Courchevel and President of the National Association of mayors of mountain resorts (ANMSM). Thousands of homes built between the 1960s and 1980s need to be rehabilitated. Major concern especially the complete renovation of parts of water and electricity and isolation standards release. It is "urgent to take action on this deficient Park" as the white gold market becomes more competitive. Some tourism professionals, new ski resorts that are created, particularly in Eastern Europe, may soon attract vacationers. "These new destinations, will be run, able to groom the pawn at the"old"French stations on the reputation of their ski area." However, this argument is no longer sufficient! "New and ecological constructions with a high comfort level and affordable rates should seduce the tourists," warned Eric Adamkiewicz, Director General of the tourism office of Bourg - Arcs.

The failure of the Oril

Forced to deal with this "urban renewal in the mountains", the elected representatives of the stations take a few years of sporadic, local initiatives and in the end little effective. In 2002, the Government had yet created rehabilitation of leisure real estate (Oril) operations. Inspired by the operations programmed for improving habitat (Opah) put in place in plain, this tool was designed to the resorts to encourage owners to upgrade their apartments through grants. "The Oril tends towards a dual objective: firstly to turn"cold beds"in"hot beds"to increase the capacity of the station, then raise the General level of comfort", summarizes Régine Jay-Grillot, Director of the office of tourism of the Ménuires and Saint Martin de Belleville. The proposed mechanism is to distribute financial assistance to individuals in exchange for work in their housing and a commitment to development in rental for nine years in a real estate agency of the station. Since 2002, a few municipalities develop, each in his corner, "their" Oril. Currently, the City Hall of La Plagne didn't reactive Plagne Renvov, a former SEM in sleep, to distribute grants to condominiums. At Ménuires, the municipal Council decided, on 7 December, to increase the grant proposed to owners ready to work. "In 2009, this assistance will to 300 euros per square metre for the first twenty square metres renovated against 180 euros so far." "Beyond 20 m2 renovated aid totaled 150 EUR per metre square against 90 euros previously", details Claude Jay, President of local Renov, semi-public company SEM in charge of the renovation of habitat in the station. In five years, the Oril of Ménuires handed rental circuit 150 units or less than 10 of the housing stock ageing station. Tignes, the results are also modest. Between 1995 and 2007, nearly 250 beds were delivered in the rental circuit of real estate agencies, a lean budget in view of the 30.746 beds of the station. In Savoie, the Oril helped reintroduce 4,000 beds on the market that the need would be estimated at 40,000. The volume of carried out pardons is not on the scale of the problem. Professionals, the main obstacle was the lack of private landowners, often of investors in the first hour. "Now retired, they have no desire to sell, or even do work in amortized housing they occupy a few weeks per year." "The commitment of rental is seen more as a constraint than an asset", analysis Arnaud Dutheil, Director of the Board of architecture, planning and environment of Haute-Savoie.

To start the renovation of private heritage stations, local elected officials and tourism professionals argue with the public authorities to obtain a tax incentive provision. In the meantime, major owners and managers of residences of tourism undertake these major works. At Avoriaz, Pierre & Vacances restructured building on each floor consisting of small surfaces. Two or three studios-cabins were brought together to achieve great two-piece. In three years, the residence of recreation specialist will be 5,000 units in eighteen years renovating on a total portfolio of 47,000 units. However these restructuring operations have a disadvantage: "Mechanically they decrease the number of beds." "Also, to compensate for this loss, the operators try to obtain the rights to build on the station", notes Arnaud Dutheil.

More rare buyers

As everywhere in France, the mountain took largely real estate euphoria of the last ten years. This boom period to the residences of tourism, mainly high-quality, swarm in large stations. These operations attracted a wealthy, sweet international clientele of habitable spaces and services to the card. But since this autumn, these buyers are more scarce. "The volume of sales in September and October respectively decreased by 25 and 30 over the same periods of 2007", said Gabriel Mingeon, commercial Director at MGM constructor. Eric Lapierre, CEO of Lagrange heritage, said his side "a contraction of sales of 18 " on the same two months. In the meantime, already launched projects continue. Seizures, on land sold by the municipality, the Lagrange group will develop a joint operation including a hotel 4 stars and a residence of tourism of the same standing. The building permit filing is scheduled for the first half of 2009. The next year, the savoyard MGM open four new addresses. Garrigae investment group starts the commercialization in the Swiss Alps for a first cottage on two planned, of 74 homes in prestige. As the company Core Stones, she declines since a few months in a chalet in les Houches, his concept of "private club" which, in exchange for an admission of 100,000 to 300,000 euros, makes available to its members a collection of secondary residences of great standing around in the world and especially in the mountains.

Many luxury, little HQE

Sustainable development, mountain promoters are not better students than their counterparts of the Plains. According to Arnaud Dutheil, "" green"housing is not meet demand exists." French stations have twenty to thirty years behind their neighbours Swiss or German. "In the former, nothing has started. "A reorganization incorporating the concept of sustainable development generates high costs." "In addition, there is no financial or fiscal assistance regarding secondary residences", argues an elected representative of Tarentaise. In nine, are rare. Pierre & Vacances Avoriaz tourist labelized BBC its first home-built, either a low consumption building. At Courchevel 1850, two programs will be stamped HQE (high environmental quality). "In addition to rethinking the altitude housing and how to build, stations must also think about limited tilting movements of their staff with some live far from their place of work and realize for long car journeys," said Thierry Repentin, Senator of Savoie and member of the National Association of elected representatives from mountain (Anem).