A difficult tourist season even in the South

[NormanH]

This article in MidiLibre says that even with the heatwave we continue to have with temperatures 2° above the average takings are well down.

46% of French people won't be going away this year, and when they do they don't spend. 45% will be staying with their parents, and 33% with friends.

In Aquitaine  7 out of 10 tourist businesses report lower figures than last year, and in Languedoc-Roussillon 51% .

It must be even harder further North where the weather is apparently still not that good.

I quote this  as some tiny comfort for those of you who are having a difficult year: while it doesn't help your bank balance, at least you know it is general, and not because you are doing something terribly wrong.

http://www.midilibre.fr/2012/07/19/les-vacanciers-ne-jouent-pas-les-cigales,536284.php

[Quillan]

I just love some of the readers comments. They seem to forget that these places have just ten weeks to get a years worth of salary after paying all their tax's, rent etc. Go to Port Barcares, Cenet, St Cyprien in October (to June) and they are closed, there is nobody in sight.

I have also noticed on peoples websites who run B&B's (CDH's) that they are offering discounts to attract guests. I understand why they feel they should but once you start doing this your on the slippery slope when 'in season'. Next year if things improve people will want to come back and expect the same discounts which will basically start a price war. The problem being is the owners won't be able to survive and we will see B&B's closing. Last year was bad enough with three closing nearby in a 5km radius of us but then for me that's good news but for them it leaves debts to be paid etc, etc but for the punter it dramatically reduces their choice of accommodation.

[suein56]

Quote : En Bretagne, les volumes de réservations ont chuté par rapport à l’an dernier.

Quite so, according to 2 friends who run very small b&bs - viz one room and 2 rooms apiece. But, on the other hand the weekly market in our nearest small town was huger than ever yesterday and just as packed as every summer. The cafés are full all day, every day - inspite of our very changeable weather - and then all evening too. The restos are full to bursting and the supermarket shelves are emptied daily. So, methinks, all these people must be staying somewhere ... camping perhaps or staying in hotels ? The hotels (all 2 of them) have their bedrooms windows wide open daily indicating good occupation levels. There are also a lot of camping cars about, but they cost a lot to buy and also a lot to hire, so I'm not sure that is the answer either.

There are the same queues at the roundabouts as every summer, so the number of cars seems to be the same as ever. Perhaps the car owners are staying in holiday homes, rented or owned ?

One stall-holder I spoke to yesterday came from Carcassone ... said things were 'better' here; so now he's moved here permanently.

So our corner of Brittany seems to be doing OK.

A perplexed Sue

[Gardengirl]

Down our way, friends who have gites and B&Bs, plus neighbours who rent out their apartments seem to be doing as well as usual.

One who is generally almost permanently full all year round was saying last week that it's business as usual; she bought another house just a few months ago, which has excellent bookings. That makes about 4 apartments in town, more nearby, a couple at Sete and now this latest investment. She gets a lot of Americans amongst others; they are lovely historical places, beautifully furnished - we stayed in one of them twice before we bought.

Town was full before we left last weekend, the usual mixture of Germans, Belgians and French, plus many Dutch, who are mostly in camping cars, but the number of Australians has really jumped this year - due to exchange rates, I'm told. The number of cars with GB plates has gone down a lot, but there have been more Danes than usual.

The markets have been booming and cafes, bars and restaurants full to bursting, with those in the main square very busy for weeks on end. The weather has been lovely; 30 to 33 most days, which I'm really missing - it's been like April today with sunshine and showers, but I'm told that summer will arrive tomorrow!  [:)]

[NormanH]

That sounds really exceptional gardengirl, since over here even when there are tourists around they just aren't spending in cafés etc.

Even in Cap d'Agde, which can be a bit of a tourist rip-off, the owner of a glacier I know reports 35% takings down.

I have met quite a few Canadians this year on the other hand.

[suein56]

[quote user="suein56"]

So our corner of Brittany seems to be doing OK.

[/quote]

According to one of the ladies in the Tourist Office the visitors who are here are not spending money on trips ie guided tours of this and that, or sea or Gulf boat trips. And the bookings for outdoor events ie theatre and concerts are well down too. So the masses are here but are limiting their spending.

Sue

[mint]

Don't want to sound sour rather than sweet but I have just turned down a request from some people from our previous home town in the UK to spend 2 nights with us when they come to tour France in their caravan.

Having just waved goodbye to a camper van couple who were here for 5 days and who followed us to our other house in the Charente, I feel exhausted already.  Of course, what they are most keen on is to use your washing-machine for endless loads of dirty washing and to use your bath tub.

The camper van people did at least help out with some decorating and cleaning but I can always suss out someone just wants a cheap holiday at my expense.  They are usually the ones who never bother to keep in touch for the rest of the year and who never showed signs of wanting to visit us in our home whilst we were still liking in the UK [:)]

[bettyboop]

We are going to our house in Limousin and fancy a few nights down in the dordogne. Love staying in ~B&bs, found a lovely chateau near Brantome for one night, but cant find someone to do one night between Sarlat and Beaulieu sur Dordogne, either full or wont do one night - maybe have to book into a hotel - anyone have aany recommendations - pm please

[Gardengirl]

[quote user="NormanH"]That sounds really exceptional gardengirl, since over here even when there are tourists around they just aren't spending in cafés etc.

Even in Cap d'Agde, which can be a bit of a tourist rip-off, the owner of a glacier I know reports 35% takings down.

I have met quite a few Canadians this year on the other hand.

[/quote]

I haven't been to Cap d'Agde, Norman, but was at Le Grau du Roi about a fortnight ago. It was pretty busy on the main beach with families and couples, although schools were only just finishing that day. The restaurant where we ate wasn't hugely busy, but others a few metres nearer the beach were very busy at lunch and again when we passed at the end of the afternoon with drinks and ice creams. The port area was doing OK too, with quite a number of people eating a late lunch, enjoying ice creams etc. The gardener who looks after our garden went off there with his family last weekend for a fortnight, and was saying that he had some difficulty finding accommodation where they normally stay.

A music festival began just before we left; one couple I know booked on the Thursday afternoon for the Friday night and found there were quite large numbers of seats available for it. When they arrived at the Cathedral on the Friday night it was full; it was Bach's St John's Passion, so it was very well known and well-loved, but tickets had been on sale for several weeks beforehand and had remained unsold till then. Maybe there were many Bach fans amongst the crowds who arrived that day to see the Tour de France next day!  [:)]

Where we are is a very touristy town, well-known for the Saturday market and with many lovely old buildings, close to other lovely historical sites and lovely natural areas. It will be interesting when we return in September to find out how the season has been for shopkeepers and restaurateurs, B&B owners etc.

[Alan Zoff]

Of course another reason for foreign tourist numbers being down could be that they are now all home and gite owners in France.

[Val_2]

Very quiet up here in the north west corner even with the lovely hot weather now. The locals here who usually go somewhere in France in July or August, on speaking to them,they say they are staying put this summer and doing things to their homes instead as its too expensive for a family to go away this year and jobs are going monthly here at the moment (PSA - 8000 announced to be laid off in coming months). The regulars that do come here are  either second home owners, have family or just come with a camper van and the big campsite near us in the bay is certainly not full as it usually is by end of June/beg July normally.

Brit families can go to guaranteed sun with inclusive hotels and meals including flights that it costs a family of four to come by ferry and rent a cottage for a week or two here and know it won't rain or they won't have to wash the clothes, cook a meal or do mundane chores.

[Frederick]

Val wrote : Brit families can go to guaranteed sun with inclusive hotels and

meals including flights that it costs a family of four to come by ferry

and rent a cottage for a week or two here and know it won't rain or they

won't have to wash the clothes, cook a meal or do mundane chores.

How right you are  Val ... A couple with two kids under 16 in August going to Marmaris Turkey to a self catering appartment ..with pool and restaurant near the beach  .Taking budget airline  flights .  Booking the appartments on line it works out at few pounds over £1500  for two weeks

One appartment  79p per person per night with restaurant and pool  Quite a few are £1... 

[Pickles]

Update here on the situation in Gard:

http://www.midilibre.fr/2012/08/02/coup-de-froid-sur-la-saison,542980.php

Basically, fewer people, spending less.

[powerdesal]

We have just had 5 days in the Jura, caravanning. Plenty of people about but campsites not full by any means. French caravanners were noticeably absent though, lots and lots and lots of Dutch with a ( very ) few Belgians. Reasonable amount of Germans.

Many times on the roads it felt like the French were tourists in Holland as the Dutch cars were far more abundant.

[idun]

All those years in France and I never knew more than a few families who actually headed  to the Med for the grandes vacances and some of them and had places.......... Cannes, Nice and Cap d'Adge anyway.

So us not fancying La Cote was quite usual. Some prefered the Atlantic coast, used to tell us that the proper sea air was something or other that was good for ones santé, which made no sense, but that was what they believed. Ofcourse the Centres de Vacances were very popular via the C E's and they could have been anywhere.

 

I think I would rather like to see how the Centre de Vacances companies were doing, VVF etc as they have appts in ressorts too. They surely reflect the working population?

[EmilyA]

It seems to me that a lot of these posts were written before the English school holidays, so not surprising that there weren't many English families about. Plenty of people on the Portsmouth-Caen ferry yesterday....

We went to the coast of the Var  near Cavalaire for our holidays every year for twenty years and then decided to live in Normandy!

[cooperlola]

Yes, Emily, starting to see a lot of UK reg' cars heading south now.  Loads on the motorway  on our way back from Belgium on Monday too.

[Quillan]

Problem is the Dutch and Belgians keep their hands on their wallet and firmly in their pocket.

There are definitely less Brits around and that's a fact but there are other nationalities making up some of the reservations. We only have two reservations for September, traditionally a Brits month (cooler, better for walking etc) and one of those is only one night. Last year September was 72% occupancy. [:(]

[Alan Zoff]

We have got to know a very pleasant Dutch couple, Q, who have a house in the village and spend about 6 to 8 weeks here. But they load up their van in Holland with EVERYTHING they might use while in France and say they hardly ever enter a French shop. 

Each to his own, I suppose, but this doesn't do a lot to help the local economy.

[Quillan]

I am told they have their camper-vans specially modified with underfloor storage compartments so then can bring toilet rolls and potatoes in vast quantities, I have often wondered if there is a link between the tow and nobody has bothered to tell me. [:D]

I have Dutch neighbours, about once a year they go back to Holland to visit family and friends. They take a 'Transit' type van and on their return take several hours unloading loads of supermarket bags full of God only knows what.

[cooperlola]

Sorry, Q, I meant loads of Brits (same motorway as the one coming South from the  Channel.)

My Dutch friends are unfailingly generous but it is true that they arrive with massive lorries and/or trailers when they turn up for the race - all full of Dutch food and booze!

[Quillan]

This morning somebody asked how things were going so I ran one of my reports. To date and with current future booking we are down about 38% on last year. This may change a bit from October when we have some offers on like three for two etc. All in all with the exception of 2009 there has been a steady drop in numbers coming to our area. This has also been talked about at our tourist board annual meetings over the last few years. Even the French are holidaying outside France, Spain is big this year (again) for the French 7 nights for €399 all inclusive during August (Tour Agency in Carcassonne) you would be stupid not to take it.

[idun]

Journal de 20h this week showed french people holiaying in Spain as it was much cheaper. When money is tight, who can blame them.

[Frederick]

The camp sites of which there are many along the coast round here look pretty full. I imagine many have chosen to go under canvas The site down the road from me seems to have put tents onto what were always open kick a ball round spaces this year that  they have among the static caravans . The beaches are being well used   The sea is very warm  and not only are there a lot of  tourists in it ....some of the biggest jelly fish I have ever seen seem happy to be bobbing along as well.

One of the hotel resaurants I use provided me with a table without booking last week which was very unusual for August..  I am told the area is 30% down on last year but looks busy to me   Street markets are  very busy and much bigger than usual and some shops are doing end of season discounts already on clothing

[AnOther]

Judging by the numbers of Belgians, Dutch, and Brits I'm seeing down here both on the roads and in the supermarkets and café's and restaurants, and assuming that most are staying somewhere reasonably nearby, this would appear to be a bumper year !