- The largest afloat show in Europe, which should have been held in September on the Croisette, was to relaunch the business tourism machine, seized with the Covid-19 crisis.
- The exemption requested by the organizers for the reception of 15,000 people was not granted by the prefecture "in view of the current health context".
Since it fell, the news "has shaken all socio-professional circles", writes the Cannes hoteliers union on Monday. Announced on Friday, the cancellation of the Cannes Yachting festival plunged local tourism professionals into a "state of economic and psychological shock", continues the federation in a letter addressed to the prefect of the Alpes-Maritimes to obtain "explanations".
The largest afloat show in Europe, which should have been held in September on the Croisette, was to revive the business tourism machine, seized up since the start of the Covid-19 crisis. But, on Friday, the mayor of the city announced "the ban on the Cannes Yachting festival by the prefect". And the next day, the organizer Reed Midem confirmed the cancellation of the show "fault", according to him, "prefectural exemption".
"The incidence rate of COVID passed beyond the alert threshold"
The exemption in question - to grant a gathering of 15,000 people, while a decree still prohibits any gathering of more than 5,000 people - has indeed not been granted "in view of the current health context", specifies the prefecture. this Monday afternoon. "The incidence rate of COVID having passed beyond the alert threshold of Public Health France", insist the state services in the department.
Other "recommendations aimed at reducing the risk of massive contamination" have been proposed to the organizer, according to the prefecture. Like that of "separating the sails and engine parts [of the show] into two distinct sites and events, thus allowing a tonnage of 5,000 people per site".
An option "which made possible the organization of this important event, while protecting the citizens". It was dismissed during a last meeting on August 20, the organizer expressing, again according to the prefect's services, "his wish to maintain his request for an initial exemption".
"Inevitable" layoffs
The shortfall for Cannes tourism, already hard hit by the cascading cancellations, in particular of the film festival, will be significant. And the hoteliers union further fears that "the message sent to other trade fair organizers will seriously compromise our fall linked to events".
The federation also asks the prefect to support with the state his "requests for a support of partial unemployment at 100% otherwise layoffs will be inevitable very quickly", she warns.
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- Tourism
- Boating
- Covid 19
- Yacht
- Nice
- Cannes
- Coronavirus
- Economy