- Tourism will restart but with "special vigilance" until June 21 in the orange areas, said Thursday the Prime Minister, Edouard Philippe.
- While the sector has been paralyzed by the health crisis since mid-March, tourism professionals say they are relieved by these announcements.
Nicolas Dayot will sleep better tonight. "Now that we know that the campsites will be able to reopen on June 2, we will relaunch reservations today," said the president of the National Federation of Outdoor Hotels, who impatiently awaited the announcements made by the Premier. Minister, Edouard Philippe, this Thursday, concerning phase 2 of the deconfinement. It must be said that the stakes are high for campsites which generate 80% of their turnover in July and August. "We will not do the season of the century, but it will be saved," he adds, stressing that the French will be able to spend their holidays in tents "in the great outdoors, without breaking the bank".
The swimming pools, "fundamental element" in the campsites, will a priori be open. Phew! And there are chances that the borders of the Schengen areas will be reopened from June 15. "We welcome a third of foreigners to the campsites, mainly Europeans, Germans and Dutch," underlines Nicolas Dayot. “France is the first country visited in the world, it welcomed, in 2018, 89 million foreign tourists. 80% of them are European, ”adds Guy Raffour, president of Raffour Interactif. "There will be de facto fewer foreign visitors," he warns. But there will be more places and destination choices for the French. "
"Some will not recover from the crisis"
While 80% of French people who travel abroad choose European destinations, they will undoubtedly be more tempted to stay in France this summer. "The epidemic is not over, and it is easier and safer, from a health standpoint, to stay in France," says Guy Raffour. He also believes that despite "the unprecedented situation", the summer season will be "saved from what we might have feared". "Over the whole year, he analyzes, the tourism sector will have lost a lot", even if some municipalities, especially in the mountains, will manage to fare well. For them, the season had started last winter, before the virus arrived.
"More than two million jobs are linked to this sector, which represents 8% of French GDP," observes Philippe Sueur, mayor of Enghien-les-Bains and president of the National Association of Elected Tourist Authorities. Suffice to say that professionals awaited firmly the announcements of Edouard Philippe concerning the summer holidays. "We had to do it because the profession was disaster," added the elected official who hopes that the tourism sector in France will be able to get their heads out of the water this summer. "But some professionals, he warns, will not recover from the crisis."
Remain "optimistic"
"It is an extraordinary season, we will not be able to recover what has not been done until today," notes Christian Mourisard, president of ADN tourism, which brings together three major federations of the profession. The Avignon festival, music festivals, etc. Several major cultural events that attract large numbers of visitors have been canceled this year. But he wants to remain "optimistic". Moreover, the restaurants, "keystone of the tourist offer", will be able to reopen in the green zone from June 2, "in almost normal conditions". The tourist offices will be open all over the territory in order to "reassure people", he continues.
Our file on deconfinement
"It is important to get out of this anxiety-provoking but understandable state of mind", especially as the measures announced have been the subject of a compromise with professionals in the sector, "which is an excellent thing", welcomes Christian Mourisard. For his part, Philippe Sueur is worried about the situation of overseas tourism where “very strict movement” control measures are maintained, as Edouard Philippe announced. "I don't see how tourism will be able to live," breathes the president of the National Association of Elected Representatives of Tourist Territories. "It's not going to be easy there. "
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Deconfinement: What should be retained from the measures announced by Edouard Philippe?
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Deconfinement: Beaches, campsites, swimming pools, colos ... What leisure places will be able to reopen?
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