Two weeks before the start of the February vacation, it will undoubtedly be necessary to review its plans: departures not recommended, calls for caution, here are in short the ministerial declarations while a new confinement is being studied.

This is a new blow for the tourism sector which has already suffered in 2020 and fears an even greater breakage in 2021.

In the Jean-Paul Costa travel agency, the phone is still ringing.

But at the end of the line, there is no question of new reservations.

"We have a lot of phone calls for cancellations, changes, but there are no more sales. It's really complicated", he confides to Europe 1. Impossibility of alpine skiing, difficulty of cross the borders… and now the government which calls for caution as the February holidays approach and advises against travel because of covid-19: a big slap in the face for travel agencies which record cancellation after cancellation.

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Initial intentions divided by 4 in France

Jean-Paul Costa is already seeing it: only three plane tickets were sold on Saturday.

Usually, excluding Covid, it's around 20 at this time of year.

"The Indian Ocean, the Caribbean zone and South-East Asia are frequently requested destinations over this period. And then afterwards, we also have skiing. But this year, nothing."

Yet the French love to go for the February holidays: 13 million of them did so last year.

But this year, the situation is too vague to make plans.

"We have a division by four of the intentions of departing on vacation in France, a division by 6 of those who plan to go abroad," notes Didier Arino, director of the Protourism cabinet.

“A good number of holidaymakers give up because of the multiplication of health constraints, isolation, generalized PCR tests.”

As of today, PCR tests are also mandatory for travelers from the European Union wishing to go to France.

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Towards more than 60 billion euros in losses in 2021?

The government's calls for caution may also have discouraged some.

Guest of Europe 1 Friday, Clément Beaune, Secretary of State for European Affairs, clearly advised against tourist travel.

As for travel within the territory, vacationers are invited to "be careful" according to the Secretary of State for Tourism, Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne. 

Last year, losses in the tourism sector already amounted to 60 billion euros.

Professionals fear an even stronger breakage for 2021.