France world's top ski destination for second consecutive year

France was the world's top ski destination for the second year running last winter, a French ski resorts' association has announced. A rise of 4.9 per cent in skier-days kept the country ahead of the US.

A skier in the Pyrenees Danielle Birck/ RFI

French ski resorts recorded 57.9 million skier-days in the winter of 2012-2013, beating the US into second place at 56.9 million and Austria into third place at 54.2 million.

But the US, which also came second in 2011-2012 chalked up a higher proportional rise at 11.7 per cent.

This is the third time since records began that France has topped the world ski league but it did not manage to beat its record, which was 58.9 million in 2008-2009.

Professionals have the winter's heavy snowfalls to thank for their latest successes but complain that later school holidays in the spring have robbed them of trade they could count on in their best-ever year.