What are you doing for the holidays? Usually in May, most of us are able to respond. Not this year. The health crisis has showered our plans and has shaken up the tourism sector, which has been shutdown for two months. Like bars and restaurants, professionals in the sector are waiting to know when and under what conditions they can resume. While the government meets this Thursday an inter-ministerial committee on the subject, Brussels, for its part, encouraged this Wednesday the 27 countries of the Union to reopen their internal borders to save the holiday resorts of millions of Europeans and prevent an economic shipwreck .
According to a study by Protourisme, tourist bookings are 35% behind for the summer. Another survey, carried out for the home exchange site HomeExchange, indicates that 21% of French people resign themselves for the moment to not making any project, while 13% have already decided that they will not leave, due to lack of visibility on what it will be possible or not to do this summer.
Holidays abroad? Better not to count on it too much, even in border countries. Spain has for example just announced the establishment of a quarantine for outside visitors as long as the state of health emergency in the country continues.
The horizon of holidays in France is itself barred by a mountain of uncertainty. The beaches? After two months of sleep, the first reopen in Brittany or the Pays de la Loire, but it is forbidden for the moment to bask in the sun. Going to the Côte d'Azur? Provided that the traffic restrictions, the famous 100 km radius around the home, are lifted. As for camping or club holidays, it is hard to imagine how to comply with the rules of physical distance, for example in swimming pools.
Furnished apartment rentals, big winner of the summer
Under these conditions, the rental of tourist furnished apartments promises to be the big winner of the summer. House, apartment, gites or even guest rooms are, according to the first trends, the most sought-after and most reserved formulas on the Internet. "We have felt a real thrill in reservations since the beginning of the month after having suffered zero activity from mid-March to mid-April," says Solange Escure, director of Gîtes de France. For now, the 100 km rule limits order intake, but we feel that there is a desire, first for the Ascension weekends, then that of Pentecost and then for the holidays. 'summer. "
The trend is the same at Le Collectionist, a website offering rentals between individuals like Airbnb, but exclusively for luxury villas. The platform benefits from a demand four times higher than usual in the South West and South East of France. At HomeExchange, there is an increase in requests for home exchanges seven times higher in the first week of May compared to the same period in April.
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"The house or apartment rental formula is on the rise because it reassures," continues Solange Escure. We find this type of accommodation for all budgets, everywhere in France. The fact of being able to meet with family or friends, enjoy a garden or even a swimming pool while not being obliged to frequent tourist areas that are too crowded plays to the full. "
