What Vars La Forêt Blanche does

Vars La Forêt Blanche is a year-round mountain resort in the Hautes-Alpes department of the Southern French Alps, operated by the Office de Tourisme de Vars, a French tourism public entity. The resort spans four traditional Alpine villages — Saint-Marcellin (1,630m), Sainte-Marie (1,650m), Sainte-Catherine (1,790m), and Les Claux (1,850-2,000m) — and operates seasonally with winter (ski) and summer (outdoor activity) product lines, complemented by an intersaison programming model.

The core product portfolio includes the Vars-Risoul linked ski domain (200km+ pistes), the Vars Bike Park (mountain biking), the Vars Mountain Trail (trail running with six permanent routes), the Speed Masters speed skiing championship, and a broad activity catalog (snowshoeing, hiking, paragliding, rail sledging, rafting). Revenue is generated through five transaction-based streams: ski pass sales, accommodation booking commissions, activity and experience bookings, equipment rental referrals, and advertising from partner establishments. The go-to-market model is direct-to-consumer via the multilingual vars.com website (French, English, Italian) complemented by a channel partner network of 100+ accommodation providers, ski schools (French Ski School, International Ski School, We Snowboard, Pure Snowschool), equipment rental shops, and activity operators. Supporting technology is a digital tourism platform with online booking, the Infolive real-time snow/weather and webcam system, and email newsletter distribution; no AI/ML capabilities or proprietary technology beyond standard consumer web functionality were disclosed.

The customer base is fully consumer-facing, segmented into winter sports enthusiasts, summer outdoor adventure seekers, families, and cultural/heritage tourists, with primary demand concentrated in the December-April ski window and the July-August summer window. Leadership consists of two directors: Nicole Gaillan (summer season publication director) and Nicolas Restout (winter season director). The organization holds 11-50 employees, is GDPR/RGPD compliant, and is pending a formal RGAA accessibility audit. No funding rounds, M&A activity, or external investors were identified.

Name

Vars La Forêt Blanche

Legal name

Office de Tourisme de Vars

Website

https://vars.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Vars La Forêt Blanche is a year-round alpine resort in the Hautes-Alpes, France, operated by the Office de Tourisme de Vars across four villages from 1,630m to 2,000m. It serves winter sports and summer outdoor tourists via ski passes, accommodation commissions, and activity bookings through the linked Vars-Risoul domain.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Mountain Resort and Ski Tourism

NAICS

Skiing Facilities (71392), Traveler Accommodation (7211), Tour Operators (561520)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990), Hotels, Rooming Houses, Camps & Other Lodging Places (7000)

akta.pro primary industry

Ski Areas & Lift Operations (Independent Mountains) (THAAAJAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Ski & Mountain Full-Service Hotels (THAGAAAJ), Winter Adventure & Mountain Resorts (Ski, Snowboard, Snow Activities) (THAAAAAK)

Keywords

• Ski resort operations
• Mountain tourism services
• Ski lift passes
• Alpine accommodation booking
• Outdoor adventure activities

Headquarters

HQ city

Vars

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Ski Passes and Lift Tickets: Sale of ski passes and lift tickets for the Vars-Risoul ski domain. Skipass sales represent a core revenue stream for ski resort operations.
2. Accommodation Bookings: Commission or fees from accommodation providers including hotels, vacation rentals, tourist residences, and holiday centers that list on the platform.
3. Activity and Experience Bookings: Revenue from booking various outdoor activities including mountain biking, hiking guides, trail running events, cyclo sports, and adventure activities.
4. Equipment Rental Referrals: Referral fees from equipment rental partners including ski schools, mountain bike rentals, and sports equipment providers.
5. Advertising and Promotional Fees: Fees from partner establishments (restaurants, shops, services) featured on the platform and promotional materials.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Vars La Forêt Blanche operates a year-round mountain resort in the French Hautes-Alpes offering ski lift passes, accommodation booking, and a wide range of outdoor activities. In winter, the resort provides alpine skiing, speed skiing competitions, and snow-based activities; in summer, it offers mountain biking at the Vars Bike Park, trail running, hiking, and road cycling. The resort serves as a central platform connecting visitors with over 100 partner providers including hotels, vacation rentals, ski schools, and activity operators.

Product overview

Vars La Forêt Blanche is a year-round mountain resort in the Hautes-Alpes region of France, comprising four villages (Les Claux at 1850-2000m, Sainte-Marie at 1650m, Sainte-Catherine at 1790m, and Saint-Marcellin at 1630m). The resort operates as a unified destination offering distinct seasonal product lines: during winter, it provides alpine skiing, speed skiing competitions (Speed Masters), and snow-based activities; during summer, it focuses on the Vars Bike Park for mountain biking and Vars Mountain Trail for trail running. Supporting services include ski passes, accommodation booking through the Tourist Office, outdoor activities (hiking, paragliding, rail sledging), and event programming including Gliss & Mix concerts and Vars En Scène performances. The resort is connected with nearby Risoul for combined biking domains.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Vars Ski Resort
• Vars Bike Park Mountain bike park featuring trails and routes connected with the Risoul resort, offering summer cycling experiences including the new Forêt Verte 360 space launching in 2026, for mountain biking enthusiasts.
• Vars Mountain Trail Trail running event and permanent trail routes in the Vars mountains, with the annual Vars Mountain Trail event scheduled for July 24-26, 2026, for trail runners and outdoor enthusiasts.
• Ski Passes (Forfaits) Ski lift passes and packages for accessing the ski domain during winter, offered as single-day, multi-day, and full-season options, for skiers and snowboarders visiting the resort.
• Speed Masters / World Speed Skiing Championships World Cup speed skiing event and Speed Masters championship held at Vars, attracting international speed skiing competitors and spectators.
• Gliss & Mix Opening season event combining skiing with live music concerts at the resort, for skiers and music fans attending the season opening.
• Vars En Scène Free concert series held during the ski season opening, featuring performing artists, for resort visitors and concert-goers.
• Vars Mountain Villages (Les Claux, Sainte-Marie, Sainte-Catherine, Saint-Marcellin) Four traditional mountain villages at altitudes from 1,630m to 2,000m offering accommodation, services, restaurants, shops, and authentic Alpine cultural character, for visitors seeking village-based stays.
• Outdoor Activities Summer and winter outdoor activities including hiking, snowshoeing, dog sledding, rail sledging (Luge du Caribou), paragliding, and wellness services, for active visitors and families.
• Tourist Office Services Information services, accommodation booking assistance, activity reservations, and visitor information provided by the Office de Tourisme de Vars, for resort visitors needing planning and booking support.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• RisoulcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVars and Risoul ski domains are linked, providing skiers with access to combined terrain spanning over 200km of pistes. This partnership creates one of the largest ski areas in the Southern French Alps.
• La Vague RaftingminorOthersWater sports partner offering rafting activities in the region
• Montagne MélézinminorOthersMountain activity provider partner
• Autocars ImbertminorOthersCoach and transportation service partner for Vars
• Partner Ski Schools and Equipment Rental ShopscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNetwork of ski schools (French Ski School, International Ski School, We Snowboard School, Pure Snowschool) and equipment rental providers integrated into the resort's service offering
• La Petite HistoireminorOthersHeritage and cultural activity provider partner

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Serre Chevalier Vallée: Serre Chevalier is a linked French ski domain in the Southern Alps operating lift passes, accommodation booking, and summer mountain biking and trail running. Comparable to Vars as a Southern Alps resort with a four-village structure, partner network, and diversified summer product.
• Puy-Saint-Vincent: Puy-Saint-Vincent is a smaller French ski resort in the Hautes-Alpes offering lift passes, ski school partnerships, and a partner-led accommodation network. Comparable to Vars as a same-region competitor targeting family ski visitors with a village-based resort structure.
• La Plagne: La Plagne is a large linked French ski domain in the Tarentaise operating lift passes, accommodation, and summer activities including mountain biking and trail running. Comparable to Vars as a French ski destination with multi-village structure, year-round positioning, and partner-led booking.
• Chamonix Mont-Blanc: Chamonix is an iconic French mountain destination offering alpine skiing, lift passes, accommodation booking, and a strong summer activity portfolio (trail running, mountain biking, mountaineering). Comparable to Vars as a year-round Alpine destination marketed on a mix of sport and authentic mountain village experience.
• Avoriaz: Avoriaz is a French ski resort operating lift passes, accommodation, and partner-led activity bookings, with a strong car-free pedestrian village concept. Comparable to Vars as a French resort with a distinct village identity and a partner ecosystem around a single ski domain.
• Montgenèvre: Montgenèvre is a French ski resort in the Hautes-Alpes near the Italian border, operating lift passes, accommodation, and a summer mountain bike park through the Voie Douce and Col de l'Izoard. Comparable to Vars as a same-department competitor with a linked cross-border offering and active summer cycling positioning.
• Risoul: Risoul is the directly linked ski domain partner of Vars, sharing a combined ~200km of pistes and a connected summer bike park. It is the most comparable peer because the two resorts are commercially and operationally integrated via joint passes and shared terrain.
• Les 2 Alpes: Les 2 Alpes is a large independent French ski resort in the Isère/Alpe d'Huez area operating lift passes, ski school partnerships, accommodation referrals, and a summer glacier ski offering. Directly comparable to Vars as an independent French mountain destination with year-round positioning.
• Orcières Merlette: Orcières Merlette is a mid-sized French ski resort in the Hautes-Alpes operating lift passes, ski school partnerships, accommodation referrals, and a summer activity program. Comparable to Vars as a same-region (Hautes-Alpes) competitor with a similar scale, partner model, and year-round positioning.

Broad incumbents

• Compagnie des Alpes (CDA): Compagnie des Alpes is a publicly listed French operator of major ski domains (Paradiski, Tignes, Avoriaz, etc.) and theme parks. Comparable to Vars as a broad incumbent that defines the competitive context for French ski resort lift operations, marketing scale, and digital distribution.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks1 record

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/varsfob
• Instagraminstagram.com/vars
• Facebookfacebook.com/vars.laforetblanche
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/office-du-tourisme-de-vars

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

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 Vars La Forêt Blanche