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Easter holidays canceled: tourism professionals take their troubles patiently

2021-03-31T22:04:32.306Z


Resigned, the sector hopes that this new shutdown will ensure strong activity this summer. It's a big blow for the Easter holidays. Emmanuel Macron announced this Wednesday evening the expansion of confinement to the entire hexagon. The measures that applied until now to nineteen departments now concern all French people who see their vacation plans fly away. Read also: Covid-19: tourism collapses in Île-de-France If the government allows interregional trips until Monday, leaving the


It's a big blow for the Easter holidays.

Emmanuel Macron announced this Wednesday evening the expansion of confinement to the entire hexagon.

The measures that applied until now to nineteen departments now concern all French people who see their vacation plans fly away.

Read also: Covid-19: tourism collapses in Île-de-France

If the government allows interregional trips until Monday, leaving the possibility of confining oneself elsewhere than at home, it will be impossible to leave on April 10, date of the start of the holidays for the first zone and which were to end. April 26 for the third zone.

They will also be unified from April 12 to 26 for the entire territory.

This announcement leaves a bitter taste to French tourism professionals.

For many, the Easter holidays are the start of the season.

According to Didier Arino, director of Protourisme, a consulting firm specializing in tourism, the announcement of the confinement will generate a shortfall of 3 to 4 billion euros for the sector which has already lost 90 billion euros in one year.

"It's a big blow, especially since the number of reservations was not that bad,"

he points out.

Read also: Covid-19: limited travel everywhere in France, closure of schools, vaccination ... What to remember from Macron's announcements

“The French in search of space and nature have indeed been numerous to book a stay for the month of April,”

notes Solange Escure, director of Gîtes de France.

Unusually, the occupancy rate was even on the rise for the first three months of the year, a rather calm period for the sector.

“We were also hoping for an increase in attendance in April.

Over the four weeks of the month, we were already at an occupancy rate of 30% which was going to increase sharply with last minute bookings

,

”she

explains, annoyed.

From this Wednesday evening, cancellation requests are pouring in and will occupy most of the day tomorrow.

In the campsites too, cancellations are starting to rain.

In total, 50% of them were to be open for Easter.

"Despite bookings down compared to the previous year, the figures were not so bad,"

regrets Nicolas Dayot, president of the National Federation of Outdoor Hotels (FNHPA).

"People want open spaces where the risk of spreading the virus is low and this is our case," he

says, assuring that the protocol implemented

"has been proven"

.

Even though he knows that the majority of customers will postpone their stay, he nevertheless hopes that retirees will maintain theirs.

The president of the federation does not expect many arrivals this weekend of French people who have decided to advance their holidays.

"Save the summer"

Despite this new blow, Nicolas Dayot wants to remain positive.

Firstly because the month of April is not a crucial period for its sector compared to July and August which concentrate 80% of the activity.

But above all because he hopes that this new halt will ensure the sustainability of the season.

"For us, the objective is to save the heart of the summer and to put all the chances on our side so that the circulation of the virus is as reduced as possible in the coming weeks",

explains the one who founds all his hopes on vaccination.

“We are tense, but I think the decision taken by the government to impact the short term to save the medium term is the right one.

We have every reason to hope to have as good a summer season as last year.

It might even be better because people need to take vacations and savings are greater, so people will be able to afford to go on vacation, ”he

says.

Read also: Immediately after Emmanuel Macron's speech, SNCF trains stormed

Less optimistic, Didier Arino recalls that the impact of this new confinement varies from one activity to another within the tourism sector and prefers to remain cautious about the prospects mentioned this Wednesday by the Head of State.

The latter has indeed expressed his wish to

“gradually reopen the country”

from

“mid-May”

thanks to the

“efforts of April”

and the

“deployment of vaccination”.

"We are going to build, between mid-May and the beginning of summer, a timetable for gradual reopening",

accompanied by

"strict rules",

he promised.

Nothing is less certain, retorts the director of Protourisme.

"It is a beginning of perspective but the professionals have no guarantees".

We will indeed have to wait to have visibility even for the summer.

However, tourism players are ready to welcome from this weekend the few French people in search of confinement to nature.

Source: lefigaro

All news articles on 2021-03-31

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