Compagnie des Alpes announced consolidated sales for financial year 2017/2018 of €801.2 M, an increase of 6.0% on an adjusted basis and 3.1% on a comparable scope basis.
Ski Area sales for the 4th quarter rose a significant +11.7%, to €6.8 M, primarily due to a positive base effect, as the 4th quarter of the prior year was penalized by fewer days of operation. For financial year 2017/2018 as a whole, Ski Area sales rose by 3.0%, to €429.3 M, including the proceeds from a property sale that was completed in the course of the 3 rd quarter totaling €2.4 M. Lift ticket sales (which for this financial year represent 98% of business following the reclassification of real estate business under Holdings & Supports) increased by 2.1% to €420.9 M. This performance was achieved in spite of occasionally extreme weather conditions that disrupted resort operation and led to many days of total or partial closure of slopes and lifts, particularly in the month of January. It attests to the resilience of this business in an adverse environment. Growth in sales was primarily driven by the increase in revenue per Skier/Day which, after rising significantly during the previous financial year, has consolidated and rose by +1.3% this year. Growth was also boosted by another increase, for the 3 rd year in a row, in the number of Skier Days at the Group’s resorts, which this year reached +0.8%.
Increasing the number of guests who visit these resorts is one of the major pillars of the strategy deployed by Compagnie des Alpes. To achieve this goal, the Group has rolled out initiatives pertaining to overnight accommodations, sales, distribution, and digitalization. The acquisition this year of
Travelfactory, the leading online distributor of ski vacations in France, is in perfect alignment with this strategy. It will enable the Group to complete its retail offering of ski trips and mountain lodging as well as gain access to younger and more international customers while also expanding both its expertise and its digital footprint.
Leisure Destination sales, which account for more than 40% of annual revenue, rose by 3.2% in the course of the 4th quarter of financial year 2017/2018, reaching €141.3 M, in line with the Group’s expectations.
For the 2017/2018 financial year as a whole, Leisure Destination sales rose by 4.3% on a comparable scope basis, reaching €339.9 M. The increase was primarily driven by the steady growth in spend per guest (+3.0%), sustained by a continuous rise in “In Park” spending, whose volume has increased by nearly 44% over the last five years. This increase is mainly attributable to growth in restaurant-related activities and, more globally, to an improved mix that better serves guest expectations.
The Holdings & Supports division now groups the consulting business carried by CDA Management and CDA Beijing, the historic online distribution and real estate businesses of CDA (previously accounted for under the Ski Areas BU), as well as the business of
Travelfactory, a company that was acquired on January 1, 2018, and whose integration into the Group is going according to plan.
Since it was founded in 1989,
Compagnie des Alpes has established itself as an uncontested leader in the leisure industry. At the helm of 11 of the world’s most prestigious ski resorts (Tignes, Val d’Isère, Les Arcs, La Plagne, Les Menuires, Les 2Alpes, Méribel, Serre-Chevalier, etc.) and13 renowned leisure destinations (Parc Astérix, Grévin, Walibi, Futuroscope, etc.), the company is steadily expanding in Europe (France, the Netherlands, Belgium, etc.) and, more recently, at the international level (Grévin Montréal in April 2013, Grévin Prague in May 2014, Grévin Seoul in July 2015 and engineering and management assistance contracts (Russia, Morocco, Japan)). CDA also owns stakes in 4 ski areas, including Chamonix. During the financial year ended September 30, 2017, CDA facilities welcomed nearly 23 million visitors and generated consolidated sales of €762.3 million. With nearly 5,000 employees, Compagnie des Alpes works with its partners to build projects that generate unique experiences, the opposite of a standardized concept. Exceptional leisure activities for everyone.