“At home it's cold, it's raining and you have restrictions. At home, we're in flip-flops, it's hot and when we want to go out, we go to a restaurant. "
Presented like this by Alexandra Jacoby-Koali, communications manager of the Guadeloupe Islands Tourism Committee, the current situation effectively calls for everything to be abandoned for a week in the Antilles.
Relentless, the argument seems to hit the mark: since the government's announcements concerning the gradual deconfinement and then the closure of ski lifts in ski resorts, more and more French people in metropolitan France have flocked to Martinique or Guadeloupe.
In the absence of mountain, others have also chosen to invest the Breton coast where reservations in lodges are increasing.
To read also: The managers of ski resorts “surprised and disappointed” not to reopen for the Christmas holidays
“
We were a little skeptical given the situation around Covid-19, we didn't know if we were going to have a craze or not this winter,
continues Alexandra Jacoby-Koali.
But bookings for the Christmas holidays have been developing very positively in recent weeks. ”
It must be said that Guadeloupe has something to seduce, in these confined times.
Of course you have to present a negative PCR test to get there, but once there, the restaurants and bars (those that do catering) are open until midnight, all tourism activities are maintained, and there is no there is no curfew or confinement.
It goes without saying, it is also 30 degrees there every day, in the shade.
“
The mainland French have understood that they will be less restricted in Guadeloupe,
jubilant Alexandra Jacoby-Koali.
I don't think the numbers will be better than in 2019, but given the specifics of 2020, we are delighted that the activity is picking up as well!
"
Historic communication campaign
To be sure to attract as many tourists as possible in the depths of this unique winter, Martinique launched on November 27 the largest communication campaign in its history: 1.1 million euros of advertising spread over five months.
As in Guadeloupe, the island will be deconfined and its restaurants open until midnight from December 15.
The icing on the cake
,
the incidence rate (the number of people infected over a week for a population of 100,000 inhabitants) is almost zero, around 13 per 100,000.
Result: some hotels are already full for the end of year celebrations and the week of Martinique deconfinement, from December 13 to 20, will welcome twice as many tourists as the previous week.
"It is a conjunction of positive elements, a puzzle that has been put together well,"
rejoices François Baltus-Languedoc, the general manager of the Martinique Committee.
We won't have a season as good as normal, but we will really close the gap.
We have given ourselves the means to save the high season. "
Read also: Skiing: Switzerland offended by the decision of the French government
Another atmosphere in Brittany, where the restrictions will obviously be the same as everywhere in mainland France.
However, here too, some tourism professionals are rubbing their hands.
While most hotels are likely to remain closed due to a lack of nearby restaurants, lodges and guest houses will fill up.
According to Gîtes de France, accommodation in Finistère has already recorded a turnover up 25% compared to last year.
“
We have had a lot of reservations since the last announcements (
concerning the deconfinement and the closure of ski resorts, editor's note
),
explains Sébastien Baussais, general manager of Gîtes de France in Finistère.
But we have also postponed to Christmas stays that were to take place in the spring of 2020, and which therefore have nothing to do with decisions on skiing. ”
Flat calm on the French Riviera
Whatever happens, tourist destinations in Brittany are already preparing for a good winter season.
"We expect to have a lot of people, that's clear,"
recognizes Annie Séguin, communications officer for the Carnac tourist office (Morbihan).
We have a lot of second homes in Carnac, and therefore people who did not come for Christmas to go to the mountains will come to their homes.
There is a risk of filling up at this level. ”
In Carnac, the hotels will not reopen their doors, due to the administrative closure of restaurants.
“
What is likely to work well are rather rental residences,
” says Annie Séguin.
Read also: Skiing and Covid-19: does the closure of ski lifts make scientific sense?
While the closures of ski lifts could make some people happy, this will not be the case everywhere. In the Côte d'Azur, for example, the season is likely to be particularly calm. Indeed, according to the first studies carried out for the Nice Côte d'Azur Tourism Federation, accommodation has so far recorded only 10% of their usual reservations.
“This year with us it will be very, very calm at Christmas,
deplores Valérie Roustan, director of the Federation of hotels, restaurants and tourism Umih Nice Côte d'Azur.
Many hotels will remain closed for the holidays because there is no catering. And no one wants to spend the end of the year holidays in a city where everything closes at 5 p.m. The trend is all the more calm as the Italians, who will have about forty to leave their homes, will probably not come ... "
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