The recession - how is it affecting gites?

[Apero]

Our neighbour has a gite which he rents out May-Sept , it is fully booked now for this period. He has made his into a top end establishement and increased his rates by 20% one recent guest mentioned he usually stays in hotels.

Could be certain types off holidaymakers are looking at other options.

Apero 

 

[Théière]

In a conversation at a road side tea hut and breakfast bap stop, (I know the glamorous places to eat)

The owner has a caravan on the south coast of England, they have just put it up for rental and under cut their neighboring caravan by £95 pw to get some business in.

A four berth caravan for hire at £600-£695pw. That would make a gite with a pool excellent value in my opinion.

 

[Sprogster]

I don't believe it is the case of Brits stopping going to France, it is more that numbers not surprisingly will be down through out the eurozone by an anticipated twenty to thirty per cent. However, this will probably have minimal impact in high season, when most Gites in a good location are fully booked anyway.

The potentially bigger impact going forward is going to be rapidly rising unemployment throughout Europe, which is a lagging indicator and therefore not likely to reach its peak until well into next year, so 2010 could be the bigger challenge notwithstanding with a bit of luck we are through the worst of the recession by then.