Risk management in mountain sports areas: The case of a French ski resort (Val Thorens)

Abstract

This paper deals with hazard production and risk management in French ski resorts. The winter sports tourist sector presently has given rise to both new dynamics in the economy in several mountain areas and accidents that mainly involve the sports resorts' customers who frequent them. Thus, risk management is an essential condition for the ski resort to function properly. The aim of this research is to demonstrate that the way of managing risks is closely connected with the territory (in its physical, sociological, economic and political dimensions), and especially with the fixed ideas that the professionals in the security sector have about the territory. Moreover, an analysis from this perspective helps to consider better the way the territory (in a broad sense, not only restricted to safety matters) is perceived by the security professionals. With this aim in view, a case study was conducted in Val Thorens (France), from a systemic and sociological point of view. This qualitative approach was composed of (i) a documentary analysis and (ii) semi‐guided interviews undertaken with safety professionals operating in this ski resort. First, results show that the territory examined is above all seen as an area to mould in order to achieve at the same time industrial goals (optimizing the tourist attraction angle and productivi‐ty) and marketing purposes (satisfying the skiers' expectations). According to this logic, safety preoccupations on the one hand actively shape the mountain territory, and on the other hand suffer the effects (for instance in the form of budgetary constraints) of the main concern for economic efficiency. Val Thorens also appears to be a territory whose accidentologic productions are quite voluntarily underassessed, in order not to alarm tourists and not to harm the resort's reputation and interests. From the same point of view, most of the safety professionals attempt to relativize the intrinsic hazardous potential of the territory, by holding the clients mainly responsible while discussing the risk factors on skiable fields. Finally, it is a space that is physically shaped and socially animated by several principles of action. In fact, beyond formal guidelines, safety procedures and official speeches, decision‐making and actions undertaken for security purposes seem to be guided by (i) a reactive attitude, (ii) the fear of legal proceedings (as a potential continuation of an accident), (iii) commercial and corporatist stakes, and, lastly, a passionate logic of action. Résumé Le secteur touristique des sports d'hiver génère une indéniable dynamisation socio‐économique pour de nombreuses régions montagnardes. Mais dans le même temps, il n'est pas sans provoquer un certain nombre d'accidents impliquant essentiellement les clients des stations. La gestion des risques s'impose de ce fait comme une condition essentielle du fonctionnement de ces sites touristiques. Le but de la recherche présentée ici est de démontrer que le mode de management de la sécurité adopté en station est intimement lié au territoire, et notamment à la conception que les professionnels de la sécurité développent de ce dernier. Une étude de cas a été conduite dans une optique systémique et sociologique. Les résultats montrent tout d'abord que le territoire analysé est globalement envisagé comme un espace à façonner dans le but d'optimiser son attractivité touristique et sa productivité commerciale. C'est aussi un espace dont les productions accidentologiques sont volontairement sous‐estimées sur un plan quantitatif, et dont les professionnels de la sécurité tentent de relativiser le potentiel cindynique intrinsèque. Enfin, les stations de sports d'hiver constituent des endroits qui sont physiquement transformés et socialement animés par cinq principes d'action.