2030 Winter Olympics: an economic springboard or a risky bet?

France is set to host two Olympic Games in the same decade, with Paris 2024 in the summer and the French Alps in the winter of 2030. While the Paris Games were a popular success, the Winter Games raise many questions about their economic, environmental and social impact. While the Asterès study predicts the creation of 48 jobs, as well as major investments in the infrastructure of the host regions, these promises must be taken with a grain of salt.

Unlike the Summer Games, which attract a global audience, the Winter Games are more confidential. Many countries, particularly those in warm regions such as Africa and Latin America, participate only marginally in these snow and ice events. In addition, climate change is weighing heavily on the very viability of winter sports. France is facing a decline in natural snowfall, which is forcing some resorts to use artificial snowmaking technologies, a practice criticized for its ecological impact.

In 2030, despite promises of financial and environmental sobriety, the Winter Olympics will not be able to avoid criticism. Opponents, gathered in the "No-Jo" collective, denounce a costly project, contrary to current ecological issues. Infrastructure will have to be modernized, and public investments will only benefit a handful of already very wealthy resorts. The 2030 Winter Olympics risk crystallizing tensions around the management of mountain resources and tourist overcrowding.

The challenges are therefore numerous for these Games, announced as the "most sober" since 1988. Although the promoters of the event, such as Fabrice Pannekoucke and Renaud Muselier, insist on the positive repercussions for the Alpine territories, particularly in terms of mobility and economic development, the reality could prove to be much more contrasting. In 2030, the Winter Olympics will have to prove that they can reconcile ecological requirements with sporting and economic ambitions.