France Retakes Crown For Most Popular Country to Ski In
26th September 2026
Last season it saw 56.1m skier days. Austria was in second place with 53.7m and the USA was third with 52.6m. NEW
The figures come from Domaines Skiables de France (DSF) with France up 2.4% on the previous season and 6% up over the past four years.
The 2025/2026 winter ranks as the third-best season ever recorded by French ski resorts.
The pre-season saw early snowfall from the end of November, allowing many ski areas to open in good conditions.
There was a return of cold weather and fresh snowfall in early January.
January saw visitor numbers 3% above the previous winter and 9% above the average of the past four winters.
By the beginning of February visitor numbers stood 9% above the four-year average.
By the end of the season, which included the Easter weekend, visitor numbers rose by 3% year on year.
Tignes, France – photo © PlanetSKI
In recent years the USA has been the most popular country for skiing, but last season it saw very poor levels of snow and a corresponding sharp drop in the number of people skiing and snowboarding.
The chief executive Vail Resorts, Rob Katz, said that it was “one of the most challenging winters in history across the western US.”
France had not held the top spot in the world rankings since the winter of 2014/2015.
Domaines Skiables de France said the Alps and the Pyrenees enjoyed a particularly buoyant season and contributed significantly to the national performance.
Conditions were more variable in the mid-altitude mountain ranges.
The Massif Central, the Jura Mountains and the Vosges had more variable snow cover across the winter.
Investment remains substantial: €555 million was invested by French ski resorts in 2025, according to data published by DSF.
This is around 50% higher than the average for the decade and represents 32% of the operators’ pre-tax turnover.
Les Menuires, France. Image c/o Vanessa Fisher.
Domaines Skiables de France is the professional chamber of French ski area and cable transport operators.
DSF brings together 380 members, including 230 active members (ski lift or ski area operators) and around 150 associate members (suppliers, manufacturers, training centres, project managers, etc.).
Ski areas are the main source of appeal for mountain resorts, which see 10m tourists each winter – 7m take part in snowsports.
DSF members employ 18,500 staff across some twenty different professions.
Each winter, more than 120,000 jobs in France depend on ski areas opening.
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