“It is absolutely catastrophic. We have lost 90% of reservations compared to previous years. And we expect a dead loss of 4.5 million euros on 11 million in turnover! Stéphane Grimaldi, director of the Mémorial de Caen museum (Calvados), reflects the extent of the shock suffered by memory tourism in Normandy, due to the health crisis.
he thousands of tourists usually expected in museums, cemeteries and places where the Landing was played, are not there this year. Commemorations that are not canceled will take place in very small committees, mainly between officials and representatives of associations. Beyond the impact on this time of collective memory, so dear to the Normans, it is obviously a terrible economic earthquake.
"It will take two or three years to recover"
"It will take two or three years to recover. That means fewer events and no recruiting during this period, ”explains Stéphane Grimaldi. An observation confirmed by Didier Llorca, director of the Bayeux tourist office (Calvados), at the epicenter of the usual commemorations of June 6. “Last year, the 75th anniversary of the Landing brought exceptional tourist spinoffs. And all the indicators pointed to an equally remarkable year 2020. We were therefore preparing to experience another great season, both for the memorial sites and for the tourism sector in general. Given the context, it will be quite different ... "
The history of the Landing generates in the region no less than 5 million visits each year, involving several hundred businesses and thousands of jobs. Typically, hotels in May and June have occupancy rates of around 90%. And all these data have, since March 17, suddenly dropped to zero.
