Serma Avoriaz

What Serma Avoriaz does

Serma Avoriaz (legal name: Société d'Exploitation des Remontées Mécaniques de Morzine Avoriaz, SERMA) is a privately held French SAS operating the Avoriaz ski resort, headquartered at 98 Place Jean Vuarnet, 74110 Avoriaz. The company runs 34 ski lifts and 75 km of slopes within the Avoriaz domain and operates within the broader Portes du Soleil system — the largest connected ski area in France and Switzerland, comprising 197 lifts, 650 km of slopes, and 12 interlinked resort villages across two countries. Under Director General Thomas Faucheur, SERMA employs approximately 100 permanent staff supplemented by 360 winter seasonal and 140 summer seasonal workers, enabling year-round operations.

The company's core offering is ski lift passes (Avoriaz and Portes du Soleil domains) sold in durations from single trips to full seasons, loaded onto rechargeable hands-free RFID chip cards (carte mains-libres) priced at €3 each, with online recharging activated within 15 minutes. Complementary products include the summer Multi Pass (70+ activities across 12 villages, €15/day), VTT mountain bike passes (€39 day / €449 season), pedestrian passes, and Avoriaz Up & Down mobile application providing real-time lift wait times, webcams, and geolocated emergency services. SERMA also resells Snowrisk (winter) and Assurens Sport (summer) insurance as an authorised reseller. Revenue mechanics combine dynamic online pricing with physical ticket offices at Avoriaz and the Ardent cable car station, self-service kiosks, and a dedicated B2B portal serving works councils (Comités d'Entreprises) and associations.

Distribution is omnichannel: own e-commerce platform (shop.skipass-avoriaz.com), official website (skipass-avoriaz.com), self-service pick-up boxes, the My Club Portes du Soleil loyalty programme, and reciprocal partner-area agreements with 10 ski domains across 5 countries. Sustainability initiatives include Flocon Vert certification, HVO biofuel adoption (83% emissions reduction on snow groomers), 80,000 kWh/year on-site solar production, and 70% local supplier sourcing from Haute-Savoie. The company maintains an athlete ambassador programme sponsoring 14 individual athletes and 6 local sports clubs, plus brand partnerships with Burton, Oakley, Atomic, Fox Racing, and Santa Cruz Bicycles.

Name

Serma Avoriaz

Legal name

Société d'Exploitation des Remontées Mécaniques de Morzine Avoriaz (SERMA)

Website

https://skipass-avoriaz.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Avoriaz

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Ski Lift Passes (Winter): Primary revenue stream from sale of ski lift tickets in various formats: day passes, multi-day passes (2–14 consecutive days), season passes, annual passes, and point-based cards. Tickets are loaded onto rechargeable hands-free chip cards. Revenue also includes mandatory card purchase fee (3€) for first-time buyers.
2. Summer Mountain Activity Passes (VTT/Multi Pass): Summer revenue from mountain bike (VTT) passes, pedestrian passes, and the Multi Pass offering access to 70+ activities across 12 villages. Product range includes single-journey tickets, multi-journey bundles, 1–6 day passes, and season passes.
3. Sports Insurance Products: Resale of insurance products — Snowrisk (winter) and Assurens Sport (summer) — to cover ski and mountain sports risks. SERMA acts as an authorised reseller; the insurance contract is directly between the customer and the insurance provider.
4. Mandatory Hands-Free Card Sales: Sale of the rechargeable 'carte mains-libres' chip card at €3 per unit, mandatory for all pass purchases. Cards are reusable but not refundable, generating recurring per-customer revenue.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

SERMA (Société d'Exploitation des Remontées Mécaniques de Morzine Avoriaz) operates the Avoriaz ski resort in France, part of the Portes du Soleil interconnected ski area spanning France and Switzerland. The company sells ski lift passes for winter (Avoriaz and Portes du Soleil domains), summer mountain bike (VTT) passes, pedestrian passes, and the Multi Pass providing access to 70+ activities across 12 villages. It also resells sports insurance products (Snowrisk, Assurens Sport) and operates a hands-free RFID chip card system and the Avoriaz Up & Down mobile application.

Product overview

Serma Avoriaz operates the Avoriaz ski resort as part of the Portes du Soleil ski area, offering a comprehensive suite of ski passes and mountain activity products. The core offering centers on ski passes for two interconnected systems: the standalone Avoriaz domain (34 lifts, 75 km of slopes) and the broader Portes du Soleil ski area (197 lifts, 650 km across 12 resorts in France and Switzerland). The product portfolio extends to summer activities via the Multi Pass (70+ activities), mountain biking passes (VTT) with access to 600km of trails and bikeparks, pedestrian passes, and complementary services including optional insurance products (Snowrisk for winter, ASP Assurensport for summer), a loyalty program (My Club Portes du Soleil), and a mobile application (Avoriaz Up & Down). The hands-free card system serves as the digital pass carrier with online recharging capabilities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Avoriaz Domaine de Montagne: The mountain resort brand for the Avoriaz ski area operated by SERMA
• Avoriaz Up & Down
• My Club Portes du Soleil
• Snowrisk
• ASSUREN SPORT
• Avoriaz Bikepark
• Popcorn Bikeyard
• Avoriaz Snowparks
• Multipass

Products and services

• Avoriaz Ski Passes Ski lift passes providing access to the Avoriaz ski area (34 lifts, 75 km of slopes), available in various durations from 5-hour passes and 1-day passes to multi-day, season, and annual passes, loaded onto rechargeable hands-free chip cards.
• Portes du Soleil Ski Passes Ski passes providing access to all 12 interconnected resorts across the Portes du Soleil ski area spanning France and Switzerland, with 197 ski lifts and 650 km of slopes.
• VTT (Mountain Bike) Passes Summer mountain bike passes providing access to 600 km of trails in the Portes du Soleil VTT domain, including bikeparks (Avoriaz Bikepark, Popcorn Bikeyard). Available as day passes, multi-day passes, and season passes.
• Pedestrian Passes Walking and hiking passes for accessing mountain lifts and trails, available as single trips, return trips, and multi-trip bundles (2 to 5 trips).
• Multi Pass Summer multi-activity pass offering access to over 70 activities across 12 villages in the Portes du Soleil area, including mountain biking, hiking, adventure courses, bivouac, mountain kart, and other outdoor experiences.
• Hands-Free Chip Card (Carte Mains-Libres) Rechargeable RFID chip card serving as the physical pass carrier, enabling contactless access through ski lift turnstiles without removing the card from the pocket. Priced at €3, non-refundable but reusable across multiple seasons with a 2-year warranty.
• Avoriaz Up & Down Mobile Application Mobile application providing real-time information on lift wait times, opening schedules, slope conditions, webcams, alert messages, ski statistics, route planning, and geolocated emergency calling for Avoriaz resort users.
• My Club Portes du Soleil Loyalty Program Loyalty programme awarding Suns (points) with each pass purchase, redeemable for free day passes (200 Suns winter / 80 Suns summer = 1 free Portes du Soleil day pass). Also provides access to complimentary day passes at partner ski areas.
• Snowrisk Sports Insurance Winter sports insurance product resold by SERMA to ski participants, covering ski-related risks on the ski area. Priced at €3.50 per day, capped at €28 for passes of 8+ days (limited to 15 days).
• Assurens Sport Insurance Summer multi-activity insurance product resold by SERMA for mountain sports and biking, priced at €4.00 per day for any Portes du Soleil pass from 5 hours to 13 days and trip tickets.

Quantifiable outcome

• CO2 emissions reduced by 50% (target met in 2025 vs 2030 goal) through HVO biofuel use for snow groomers (83% reduction on the largest emissions source)
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers14 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• BurtonminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBranded partner whose logo appears in the SERMA partner section on the ski resort website. Brand alignment with mountain sports culture, with links from skipass-avoriaz.com to burton.com.
• OakleyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerEyewear brand partner featured in the SERMA partner section on the ski resort website with links to oakley.com.
• AtomicminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSki equipment brand partner displayed in the SERMA partner section with links to atomic.com.
• Fox RacingminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMTB and action sports apparel brand partner displayed in the SERMA partner section with links to foxracing.fr.
• Santa Cruz BicyclesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMountain bike brand partner featured in the SERMA partner section with links to santacruzbicycles.com.
• Chamonix Mont-BlancminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner ski area offering complimentary ski days to SERMA season pass holders: 6 winter days per week (Monday to Sunday, maximum 1 per week) for the 2026/27 season. Includes Brévent/Flégère, Grands Montets (partial), Balme/Le Tour/Vallorcine.
• Espace San Bernardo (La Rosière / La Thuile)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCross-border ski area partnership (France/Italy) providing 5 winter ski days per season (max 1 per week) to SERMA season pass holders, 2026/27 season.
• Pass Découverte Haute SavoieminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional discovery pass partnership: 5 free winter days (or 5 winter + 3 summer days for annual pass holders) with minimum pass value of €340.
• 4 Vallées (Verbier, Bruson, La Tzoumaz, Nendaz, Veysonnaz, Thyon)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSwiss partner ski area providing 2 free summer days in 2026 and 5 free winter days 2026/27 to SERMA season pass holders.
• AlpsPass (Aletsch Arena, Adelboden-Lenk, Engelberg-Titlis, Jungfrau)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSwiss Alps partnership providing 3 free winter days each (2026/27) at four Swiss ski areas, totalling 12 free days across partner resorts in Switzerland.
• MontgenèvreminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFrench partner ski area offering 3 free winter days (2026/27) to SERMA season pass holders.
• Allianz I.A.R.D.coreOthersProfessional liability insurance provider for SERMA as required by French law (Article L220-1 of the Insurance Code). Administered through insurance broker Agence Olivier Blanc, 10 avenue d'Evian, Thonon-les-Bains. ORIAS number: 08040000.
• Snowrisk / Assurens SportcoreOthersSports insurance products resold by SERMA to ski and mountain activity participants. Snowrisk covers winter ski risks (€3.50/day, capped at €28). Assurens Sport covers summer mountain sports (€4/day). SERMA acts as authorised reseller; contracts directly between customer and insurer.
• e-Liberty Services SAScoreTechnology or IntegrationWebsite development and hosting partner. e-Liberty Services designed and maintains the official SERMA website and e-commerce platform. Located at Savoie Technolac, La Motte-Servolex, France.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Compagnie des Alpes: France's largest ski-resort and leisure operator, running a portfolio of major alpine resorts and theme parks. Highly comparable as a direct competitor managing lift operations, pass sales and yield management across multiple French domains, though materially larger and more diversified than SERMA.

Direct peers

• 4 Vallées / Téléverbier: Operates the 4 Vallées ski area (Verbier, Bruson, La Tzoumaz, Nendaz, Veysonnaz, Thyon) in Switzerland. Direct cross-border partner of SERMA; comparable as an independent operator of a large interconnected ski domain with mixed Swiss/international demand.
• SOREMAC (Les Arcs / Paradiski): Société de Remontées Mécaniques d'Arc 2000, operating the Les Arcs ski domain within Paradiski. Comparable independent French lift operator running a multi-resort ski domain with shared-pass mechanics analogous to Portes du Soleil.
• Compagnie du Mont-Blanc / Chamonix Mont-Blanc: Operates lifts and ski areas across the Chamonix valley (Brévent/Flégère, Grands Montets, Balme/Le Tour/Vallorcine). Direct partner of SERMA via reciprocal day-pass agreements and a directly comparable independent mountain-operator business model.
• Espace San Bernardo (La Rosière / La Thuile): Cross-border France/Italy ski area connected to SERMA via reciprocal day-pass agreement. Direct peer as a small independent mountain operator running lift infrastructure and shared passes in the same Alpine region.
• SETAM (Val Thorens): Operates Val Thorens, the highest and one of the most-visited ski resorts in Europe. Comparable as an independent French ski-resort operator running lift infrastructure, hands-free passes and digital ticketing for a large single-domain resort.
• SAP (La Plagne): Société d'Aménagement de La Plagne, operating lifts for the La Plagne ski area in the French Alps. Direct peer operating a major French ski domain with similar multi-pass products, dynamic pricing and digital distribution.
• Montgenèvre: Independent French ski resort in the Hautes-Alpes offering reciprocal days to SERMA season pass holders. Comparable as a smaller independent French lift operator with year-round operations and direct partnership overlap with Avoriaz.
• STGM (Tignes): Société des Téléphériques de la Grande Motte, the lift operator for Tignes. Direct peer operating lift infrastructure, ski passes and year-round mountain activities for a high-altitude French alpine resort.
• SATA (Alpe d'Huez / Les 2 Alpes): Independent operator of the Alpe d'Huez and Les 2 Alpes ski areas in the French Alps. Directly comparable in business model — single-company operator of a multi-lift domain, selling season/day passes with dynamic pricing and operating year-round mountain activities.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/avoriazsnowparks
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCIGhlOh_zFbEISu3e8o55dQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/AvoriazBikepark
• LinkedInfr.linkedin.com/company/serma-avoriaz
• Instagraminstagram.com/avoriazsnowparks

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Serma Avoriaz