Italy Joins Netherlands and Others as France Winter Travel Grows with Snowshoeing and Alpine Adventures

Italy Joins Netherlands and Others as France Winter Travel Grows with Snowshoeing and Alpine Adventures, highlighting a broader shift towards nature-led mountain holidays. France is encouraging visitors to explore other winter activities beyond skiing. People are discovering France’s national parks, wildlife, and mountainous regions. Less visited areas include the Vanoise and Écrins park areas, as well as the Pyrenees and Mercantour. People from Italy and the Netherlands, as well as other countries, are also enjoying different winter activities offered in France. Overall, this trend indicates that people are seeking different and more experience based activities to enjoy the winter mountains, and offers an opportunity for responsible tourism.

France Winter Tourism 2026 Gains International Strength as Alpine and Pyrenees Escapes Draw European Travellers

France enters the 2026 winter travel landscape with strong international demand and a mountain product extending far beyond conventional skiing. Between December 2025 and March 2026, French hotels and other collective tourism accommodation recorded 87.6 million overnight stays, up 1.8% year on year. Non-resident nights climbed 6.1%, raising the international share to 32%. Mountain areas accounted for 24.9 million nights, including 18.4 million in the Alps and 1.6 million in the Pyrenees. This international growth provides a powerful setting for France’s four mountain national parks: Écrins, Vanoise, Mercantour and Pyrénées.

• France recorded 87.6 million winter accommodation nights.
• International overnight stays increased 6.1%.
• Non-residents represented 32% of winter nights.
• French mountain massifs generated 24.9 million nights.
• Écrins, Vanoise, Mercantour and Pyrénées offer nature-led alternatives to skiing.

Écrins National Park Combines Snowshoeing, Wildlife, Glaciers and Alpine Food

Écrins National Park gives winter travellers a different reason to explore the French Alps. Positioned between the Northern and Southern Alps, it encompasses the Briançonnais, Oisans, Valbonnais and Valgaudemar valleys. More than 15 summits rise beyond 3,000 metres, while glaciers and deep valleys create a dramatic high-mountain setting. Winter visitors can explore on snowshoes or join naturalist-guided walks designed around responsible wildlife observation, including chamois spotting. Some experiences welcome children from five years old. La Grave and La Meije add a culinary dimension through Alpine villages and local products including cheese, meat, pasta, honey and nougat.

• More than 15 peaks exceed 3,000 metres.
• Snowshoeing provides an alternative to downhill skiing.
• Naturalist walks introduce visitors to mountain wildlife.
• Some guided activities are accessible from age five.
• La Grave and La Meije strengthen the destination with Alpine gastronomy.

Vanoise National Park Brings Protected Alpine Wilderness Close to France’s Famous Ski Resorts

Vanoise creates one of the strongest contrasts in France winter tourism 2026. The protected park lies between the Maurienne and Tarentaise valleys, surrounded by major winter destinations including Tignes, Val d’Isère, Les Menuires and Val Thorens. Yet its protected heart remains free from ski lifts. Guided naturalist excursions around areas such as Pralognan-la-Vanoise allow visitors to search quietly for evidence of chamois, mountain hares and black grouse. Nearby Aussois and Val Cenis expand the winter experience with ski joëring, yooner riding, paragliding and ice climbing, while Aussois adds dog sledding for travellers seeking another way to experience snow.

• Vanoise lies between Maurienne and Tarentaise.
• Its protected core contains no ski lifts.
• Wildlife experiences include tracking chamois and mountain hares.
• Val Cenis and Aussois broaden the adventure offering.
• Dog sledding, ice climbing and paragliding diversify winter holidays.

Mercantour Turns Southern France Into a Winter Base for Snowshoeing, Stargazing and Wildlife

Mercantour offers a noticeably different version of a French mountain holiday. Extending through the southern Alps between the Barcelonnette and Menton areas, the park combines high-altitude landscapes with Mediterranean influences. Its ecological importance is reinforced by the return of wolves to the area in 1992. Winter experiences are broader than snow sports alone. Around Lake Allos, guided astronomy activities use the area’s dark skies to introduce families to the Milky Way and other celestial features. Snowshoe walks through the Cluite Forest focus on interpreting animal tracks, while family-oriented activities can include igloo construction. This combination gives Mercantour particular strength for experiential winter tourism.

• Mercantour occupies France’s southern Alpine zone.
• Wolves returned to the area in 1992.
• Lake Allos supports guided stargazing experiences.
• Snowshoe walks incorporate wildlife-track identification.
• Igloo building creates an additional family winter experience.

Pyrenees National Park Blends Isards, Eagles, Snowshoeing and Mountain Culture

The Pyrénées National Park extends France’s winter appeal beyond the Alps. Its landscape moves from the limestone formations of the Gavarnie Massif to granite terrain around Cauterets, with Pic du Midi d’Ossau and the Aspe Valley adding further geographical variety. The isard, a Pyrenean relative of the chamois, becomes a central wildlife attraction. Family-oriented snowshoe excursions around the Anéou Cirque offer opportunities to discover its habitat. The mountains also support notable birds of prey, including bearded vultures and golden eagles. Cultural experiences add another layer, with guided storytelling walks connecting winter landscapes to Pyrenean traditions, legends and centuries of mountain life.

• The park combines limestone and granite mountain landscapes.
• The isard is a characteristic Pyrenean species.
• Anéou Cirque supports family snowshoe experiences.
• Bearded vultures and golden eagles add birdwatching appeal.
• Storytelling walks connect visitors with Pyrenean culture.

Italy Adds Growing Demand to France Winter Tourism as Alpine Experiences Broaden the Holiday Choice

Italy provides a particularly relevant market for France’s winter destinations. INSEE recorded 1.4 million Italian hotel nights during winter 2026, compared with 1.3 million the previous winter. Italy was therefore among France’s larger European hotel source markets during the season. The wider annual picture also demonstrates the market’s scale: Italian visitors generated 6.3 million hotel and camping nights in France during 2025, an increase of 6.6%. For Italian travellers, France’s mountain offer ranges from conventional Alpine holidays to protected landscapes where snowshoeing, wildlife observation, gastronomy and guided nature experiences can form the centre of a winter break.

• Italians generated 1.4 million French hotel nights in winter 2026.
• Winter hotel nights increased from 1.3 million.
• Italy generated 6.3 million hotel and camping nights in 2025.
• That annual total increased 6.6%.
• French national parks add nature-led experiences beyond skiing.

Netherlands Remains a Major France Tourism Market With Strong Potential Beyond Traditional Ski Holidays

Dutch demand gives France another substantial European visitor base. Travellers from the Netherlands generated 17.8 million hotel and camping nights in France in 2025, up 1% from 17.6 million in 2024. During winter 2026 specifically, Dutch travellers generated 0.8 million hotel nights, although that was lower than the previous winter’s 0.9 million. The broader 2026 direction strengthened later: Dutch hotel nights reached 1.1 million in Q2, rising 4.4% year on year. For France’s mountains, destinations combining snowshoeing, protected landscapes, wildlife interpretation and family experiences provide a complementary proposition to established ski holidays.

• Dutch visitors generated 17.8 million hotel and camping nights in 2025.
• Annual demand increased 1%.
• Winter 2026 hotel nights totalled 0.8 million.
• Q2 2026 hotel demand subsequently increased 4.4%.
• National parks provide alternatives to ski-centred winter travel.

Belgium Strengthens France Tourism Demand as Mountain Parks Add More Reasons for a Winter Escape

Belgium is another significant neighbouring source market. Belgian travellers generated 11.1 million hotel and camping nights in France during 2025, increasing 3.9% from 10.6 million in 2024. During the 2026 winter season, they accounted for approximately 1.2 million hotel nights. Demand remained positive beyond winter: INSEE recorded 1.4 million Belgian hotel nights in Q2 2026, representing 4.6% year-on-year growth. France’s four mountain national parks broaden what those travellers can do in winter, connecting the familiar attraction of snowy mountains with wildlife observation, snowshoeing, food, stargazing and protected landscapes across the Alps and Pyrenees.

• Belgium generated 11.1 million hotel and camping nights in 2025.
• Annual Belgian demand increased 3.9%.
• Winter 2026 produced about 1.2 million Belgian hotel nights.
• Q2 2026 hotel nights increased 4.6%.
• Mountain national parks diversify France’s winter tourism product.

International Travellers Are Taking a Larger Share of France’s Alpine and Pyrenees Winter Market

One of the most important France winter tourism 2026 signals appears directly in the mountains. Overall mountain accommodation nights remained broadly unchanged at 24.9 million, but the international share rose from 28.9% to 32%. The change was even stronger in the Alps: non-residents represented 37.4% of accommodation nights, compared with 34.2% the previous winter. In the Pyrenees, their share climbed from 16.9% to 20.3%. This means international demand compensated for weaker domestic visitation in the mountain massifs, making overseas travellers increasingly important to the winter performance of France’s mountain economy.

• Mountain accommodation generated 24.9 million nights.
• International share increased to 32%.
• Alps generated 18.4 million nights.
• International visitors represented 37.4% of Alpine nights.
• The foreign share in the Pyrenees increased to 20.3%.

Snowshoeing and Wildlife Tourism Expand France’s Winter Appeal Beyond Skiing

Snowshoeing is particularly relevant to France’s protected mountain landscapes because it allows visitors to experience snow-covered terrain without requiring downhill skiing infrastructure. Écrins offers naturalist-led walks and chamois-focused outings. Vanoise combines wildlife tracking with a protected core without ski lifts. Mercantour connects snowshoeing with animal-track identification and astronomy, while the Pyrenees pairs snowshoe excursions with opportunities to learn about isards and mountain birds. France’s national tourism portal stresses the need to minimise disturbance because mountain wildlife becomes especially vulnerable during winter. The proposition is therefore not unlimited adventure, but carefully managed access to exceptional natural environments.

• Snowshoeing is available across several mountain national parks.
• Wildlife observation requires particular care during winter.
• Écrins emphasises naturalist-guided experiences.
• Vanoise maintains a protected lift-free core.
• Mercantour and Pyrenees combine snow travel with wildlife interpretation.

France’s Protected Wildlife Adds a Powerful Nature Dimension to Alpine Winter Travel

Wildlife is not simply an attraction in France’s national parks; conservation determines how winter tourism should operate. The Alpine ibex illustrates the scale of that responsibility. France’s National Parks portal estimates around 8,700 Alpine ibex in France, with approximately 40% living across the three Alpine national parks. It reports around 2,000 in Vanoise, 1,000 in Mercantour and 600 in Écrins. Winter is also biologically significant because the ibex rut takes place roughly between mid-December and mid-January. Travellers therefore enter functioning wildlife habitats, making guided observation and responsible behaviour integral to the mountain experience rather than optional additions.

• France has an estimated 8,700 Alpine ibex.
• Around 40% occur in the three Alpine national parks.
• Vanoise has approximately 2,000.
• Mercantour has around 1,000 and Écrins around 600.
• Winter overlaps with the Alpine ibex breeding period.

France Winter Tourism Impact Grows as International Leisure Demand Supports Hotels and Mountain Economies

The broader tourism impact extends beyond visitor numbers. Leisure accommodation nights across France increased 4.6% to 63.4 million during winter 2026, while hotel nights climbed 3.1% to 58.9 million. International hotel demand increased 4.3%, and non-residents accounted for more than one in three hotel nights. Higher-category properties were especially dynamic: overnight stays increased 6.9% in four- and five-star hotels, which now account for more than one-third of winter hotel nights. For mountain destinations, international demand has particular significance because rising non-resident visitation offset declining domestic demand and kept overall mountain accommodation nights stable.

• Leisure nights reached 63.4 million.
• Leisure tourism increased 4.6%.
• Hotel nights reached 58.9 million.
• Four- and five-star hotel nights increased 6.9%.
• International visitors compensated for declining resident demand in mountain areas.

Conclusion

Italy Joins Netherlands and Others as France Winter Travel Grows with Snowshoeing and Alpine Adventures because the country offers far more than conventional ski holidays. France’s protected mountain regions provide opportunities for families to engage with local wildlife, food and activities. Exploring the regions by snowshoeing, or other activities, gives visitors an up-close experience with the areas remote and untouched landscapes. The Italian and Dutch visitors, as well as others, provide a greater international market for France’s winter activities and tourism. Each of these areas provides an experience that helps visitors appreciate and enjoy the remote and untamed winter regions of Europe.