11 Sep 2014
Inaugural awards given to journalists and tour operators for their outstanding snow-sports holiday features and innovations in France
The France Ski-Season Launch & Après-Ski Party took place yesterday at the Millennium Gloucester Hotel in London, hosted in partnership by ABTOF, Atout France and France Montagnes. The inaugural event brought together snow-sports and travel journalist with Britain's key tour operators and professionals and France's premier ski resorts for a range of seminars, networking opportunities, lunch and dinner. The partners felt it was right to recognise the outstanding work of the journalists and operators in attendance, and as such conceived 4 awards categories, designed to reflect the breadth of France's mountain holiday offering. The awards were presented by Agnès Angrand, deputy director of Atout France and Robin Wilkins, Chairman of ABTOF.
SNOWSPORTS JOURNALISM AWARDS:
- Best Newspaper Article
- 1st Place: Daniel Elkan's article in the Independent about the challenges (and glory) of taking a large group skiing in Alpe d'Huez
- 2nd Place: Lisa Minot's article in The Sun about an all-action family ski trip to Tignes at New Year
- Best Magazine Article
- 1st Place: Rob Freeman takes his nephew skiing in Puy Saint Vincent for Skier and Snowboarder (and edits the article written by his Nephew!)
- 2nd Place: David Lindsay's article exploring Méribel's off-piste terrain and resort history in Ski & Board magazine
- Best Online Article
- =1st Place: Amanda Statham learns to snowboard in the Portes de Soleil and loves it! Cosmopolitan
- =1st Place: Daniel Harrison falls in love with the lesser-known (to the British) ski area of Les Sybelles. Good Ski Guide
VOTING SYTEM
- All journalists invited were asked to submit an article about winter-sports holidays in France for consideration from this last calendar year in the categories of:
- Best Magazine Article
- Best Online Article
- Best Newspaper Article
- Atout France narrowed down the submissions to a shortlist in each category
- The shortlists were voted on by a panel of 6 ABTOF member tour operators and given scores based on:
1) Does it portray skiing in France accurately and favourably?
2) Is it relevant to the general skiing public i.e. will they actually relate to products/accommodation featured?
3) Desirability. Is it something skiers will view as useful/desirable/aspirational?
TOUR OPERATOR INNOVATION AWARD
AWARD
- 1st Place: Ski Famille- Private tutoring for children of all ages in the comfort of a family's own ski chalet.
- 2nd Place: Mountain Heaven- No single supplement for families with an odd number of children (wins 1 btl Savoie Wine, Nick Williams to accept)
VOTING SYSTEM
- All invited operators were asked to submit their single best innovation with regard to their offering in France
- ABTOF compiled a shortlist which was submitted to a panel of 7 journalists and given scores based on:
1) Is it a genuine innovation i.e. low marks if it's marketing spin
2) Relevance to the skiing public i.e. will anyone use it/want it?
3) Desirability of the product/innovation i.e. is it something skiers will view as useful/desirable/aspirational?
Note for editorial teams: France Montagnes is an agency whose remit is to promote the mountains of France as a tourist destination. For further information about the French mountains in winter or in summer, please contact Matt Carr at the offices of Atout France in London, at matt.carr@atout-france.fr or on 0207 061 6623
