The PACA region remains the most sought after by French tourists this summer (Source: ADN Tourisme) - SYSPEO

  • According to the online reservations site Weekendesk, more than 40% of stays are booked less than six days in advance this summer. 20% are even ordered just 48 hours in advance.
  • The coronavirus crisis makes the situation unpredictable and pushes the French to wait until the last moment to book their holidays.
  • But this last-minute trend had already appeared for some time with the advent of Internet bookings, which allows greater freedom of improvisation.

"Honey, pack your bags, we're going on vacation!" In the context of the health crisis linked to the coronavirus epidemic, many holidaymakers wait until the last minute to book and pack their bags. Indeed, according to Weekendesk, the online booking site for stays, more than 40% of orders are placed this summer, less than six days before departure. 20% of reservations are made only 48 hours before the start of the stay.

Coronavirus turns everything upside down

Véronique Brizon, Managing Director of DNA Tourisme, the national federation of tourist offices, explains how the crisis linked to the coronavirus has turned the habits of the French upside down: “We are seeing a wave of last minute reservations. Vacationers first wait to see how the crisis unfolds. This tourism professional also puts forward the leave argument to explain these late decisions: "Employees did not know how and when to take their leave. Many were bound by the imperatives of their employers in this volatile situation. "

If the French drag a reputation of procrastiners, they are not the only ones to wait until the last moment to organize their holidays this year, according to Brigitte Hidalgo, director of operations at Weekendesk: “With the Covid-19, we are seeing this trend a bit. all over Europe. “Indeed, with the gradual exit from confinement, it was difficult for everyone to know how their summer vacation would take shape.

Guy Raffour, founder of Cabinet Raffour Interactif, specializing in tourism, adds other reasons for these late bookings: “First of all, there is the fear of being confined to one's vacation spot. But also that of being confined before leaving. In fact, despite the government's assurances that all travel and accommodation would be reimbursed or exchanged in the event of a second wave, holidaymakers are wary and prefer to wait.

Then, vacationers want to make sure that they or a loved one is not contaminated when leaving, continues this expert. They watch until the last moment if there is no source of infection (the famous "clusters") at their place of destination. Finally, they seek large spaces, areas where tourists will not be crowded.

Guy Raffour adds that the absence of foreign tourists leaves more room for improvisation: “It offers more possibilities, more availability, and therefore more time to choose. He underlines another advantage to this unstable situation: the dispersion on the territory. “The French, well helped by the campaigns to promote the regions, are discovering new destinations in their own country. Activities that they did not know and that they might not have thought of if they had booked a few weeks or months earlier. "

A trend already present before the crisis

But according to tourism professionals, last minute reservations would not be a direct consequence of the crisis. Guy Raffour explains: “This is a trend that we have been seeing for some time now. “For him, the main reason for this new way of organizing his holidays: e-tourism. According to the latest barometer from Cabinet Raffour Interactif, 84% of holiday bookings were made on the Internet in 2019, which is 5 points more than in 2018.

“Online, it is possible with a few clicks to search for accommodation, compare them, check the weather forecast, find different activities for the whole family. And even to share them by email or WhatsApp to relatives if we are going together, ”explains Guy Raffour. He adds that vacationers are losing the habit of "spending three more weeks in one place now." Over such a period, they visit three different places, and are much more mobile. According to the expert, tourists are more in search of experiences and activities.

And if the weather, too hot or too rainy, is not the game, we search for another place online and we go. The latest figures from Weekendesk prove it: since the beginning of August and the announcement of scorching temperatures, searches for rural destinations, such as Champagne-Ardenne (+ 74%) or Limousin (+ 111%), have exploded. Brigitte Hidalgo sums it up: “Since the beginning of the summer, each concrete announcement has been felt directly in the reservations. "

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  • Covid 19
  • Coronavirus
  • Economy
  • Tourism
  • Summer holidays
  • Confinement