Association Les 3 Vallees Announces Launch Of A New Online Travel Agency – Les 3 Vallees Travel

The Association Les 3 Vallées announces today that is launching a new online travel agency – Les 3 Vallées Travel - to provide consumers in the UK and globally a simple and direct way to book holidays to the region all year round.

Over and above skiing which it is so famous for, the new travel agency will promote Les 3 Vallées area and its seven internationally renowned resorts as a four seasons destination given the beauty of the Alps and the wide range of activities on offer in the mountains not just in the winter but in the summer, spring and autumn, too 

The new Les 3 Vallées Travel agency can be accessed at https://booking.les3vallees.com/ and is ‘live’ today.

The online travel agency is a gateway to Les 3 Vallées and will enable guests to book trips to all resorts: Courchevel, Méribel, Brides-les-Bains, Saint Martin de Belleville, Les Menuires, Val Thorens and Orelle.

It will work in tandem with the resorts’ own sales and marketing initiatives and act as an additional channel to market for tourism development. Les 3 Vallées is more than skiing – it’s a year round destination

The Association Les 3 Vallées was founded in 1972 by the local tourist offices, municipalities, lift companies and ESF to promote Les 3 Vallées region and brand in France and beyond.

Three years ago, the Management Committee reviewed its vision and ambitions for the future, recognising that many visitors come throughout the year. Further to extensive market research and board level discussion, the Association Les 3 Vallées’ developed a new strategy focused on tourism throughout the four seasons. It has a number of key objectives.

• First, to promote the region all year round so that it is no longer primarily limited and tied to the opening and closing of the ski lifts – which incidentally total 162.
• Second, to publicise the different types of holiday visitors can have which is diverse, including hiking, cycling, mountain biking, spas and wellness, Via Ferrata, food and dining, among others.
• Third, to simplify the customer booking journey to attract more people to experience the beauty of the main three valleys – the Saint-Bon, Les Allues and Belleville – along with the Maurienne which is home to Orelle.
• Lastly, to provide an easier booking route for holiday makers globally especially in countries where tour operators and travel agents selling Les 3 Vallées are under-represented.

Olivier Desaulty, the Association Les 3 Vallées’ executive director, explains, “Les 3 Vallées Travel agency is all about broadening and augmenting our offer to the marketplace focused on holidays to the region all year round. In the UK, most skiers book their annual ski trip year after year through knowledgeable and expert tour operators or travel agents. So, we see our strategy as very much complementary rather than one of competition.”

Market research carried out by the Association Les 3 Vallées shows that consumers define and describe Les 3 Vallées not just in terms of skiing – and the resorts - but rather as a whole region offering a vast playground of experiences throughout the year.

This led to the development of a new brand strategy and proposition which focuses on the ‘Infinite Mountain Experiences’ available. This launched in 2021.

Olivier Desaulty says, “The communications approach is to articulate the message about the endless range of activities one can do in Les 3 Vallées. So, the word ‘Mountain’ in the strapline can scroll to reflect this and change to whatever the activity is, so Infinite Family Experiences, Infinite Wellness Experiences, Infinite Cycling Experiences and so on. The list is long.”

Les 3 Vallées Travel will become a comprehensive holiday booking portal. It will offer the following:

• A ‘one-stop-shop’ to simplify the customer journey. At launch, accommodation can be booked, as well as ski passes by the end of October. And then, during the season, additional functionality will be added so that ski school and ski rental can also be purchased.
• By the summer of 2023, travel options which are eco-friendly will be included in the packages sold. Tourists will be encouraged to book using trains - which have lower carbon emissions – linking to dedicated local buses so as to reduce the volume of cars and pollution in the area.
• Flexible booking options such as Sunday to Sunday holidays will be offered so friends and families avoid peak travel times, along with options for hybrid working – short or mid-week stays for example – so that professionals can work remotely in the mountains, thereby enjoying the benefits of a better work/life balance;

The local SNCF train station, Moûtiers-Salins-Brides-les-Bains, is also where the Association Les 3 Vallées’ has an information area and café and the entry point to the region by train.

Les 3 Vallées is the largest interconnected ski area in the world with 600 km of pistes and 162 lifts. Open from Dec 10, 2022 to April 28, 2023, Les 3 Vallées includes seven resorts: Courchevel, Méribel, Brides-les-Bains, Saint Martin de Belleville, Les Menuires, Val Thorens and Orelle. More than 85% of the ski area is situated over 1,800m. Visit www.les3vallees.com