Beyond the Tourist Gaze

"People see Chamonix as a playground, but for us, it's a workplace," explains Sofia Rodriguez, who cleans holiday apartments between her morning shift at a bakery and evening classes in tourism management. "The mountains are beautiful, yes, but they don't pay rent."

This disconnect between Chamonix as destination and Chamonix as home creates the fundamental tension in the valley's economy. While tourism generates approximately 85% of local economic activity, the industry's demands—seasonal employment, housing pressure, service-sector wages—create precarious conditions for many workers who make the magic happen.

The numbers tell part of the story: Chamonix welcomes over 5 million visitors annually, generating roughly €800 million in economic activity. The valley hosts 60,000 beds across hotels, apartments, and chalets. In peak season, the population swells from 9,000 permanent residents to over 100,000. But statistics obscure the human reality of maintaining a community under such pressure.