Because of the Covid-19, the French will be far fewer than last year to go on holiday for Christmas.

And if the mountain shows a drop in reservations, those overseas are roughly equivalent to Christmas 2019, explained the president of travel companies, Jean-Pierre Mas, on Friday on Europe 1.

INTERVIEW

Friday night marks the start of the Christmas holidays.

Special holidays in the heart of a health crisis which has considerably affected the tourism sector.

Guest from Europe 1, Friday evening, Jean-Pierre Mas, president of the travel companies, however affirms that "for the first time, the leaden layer is lifting a little".

To the benefit, in particular, of the French overseas territories, for which reservations are more or less at the same level as last year.

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"We will not be held hostage if the border is closed"

They were a little later, due to the uncertainty related to Covid-19, but reservations for the West Indies and Reunion are roughly equivalent to those in 2019. Overseas should therefore fill up with visitors during these end-of-year holidays, explains Jean-Pierre Mas.

"There have been a lot of last-minute bookings which can be explained by the natural affinity movements of the West Indian populations who join their families in the West Indies or Reunion," he says, adding that the return to normal flow tourism to overseas, despite the health crisis, also played a significant role.

"It is France, we know that we will not be taken hostage if the border is closed and that if we fell ill, we would be treated by French doctors in a hospital environment which is the same", continues the president travel companies.

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Mainly affinity tourists

As for travelers, they are, according to him, mainly overseas.

Indeed, these "have traveled little this summer to join their families, so it is the main part of travelers for the Christmas period".

In addition, a number of tourists from hexagonal France have chosen to go "to seek the sun overseas, because they cannot seek it in Mauritius (a major destination for Christmas holidays, editor's note) , because it is completely closed to tourists and does not welcome foreigners ", explains Jean-Pierre Mas.

With regard to other destinations, in particular ski trips which are generally the first holiday destination for Christmas and New Year's Day, the president of the travel companies notes that many French people who had booked trips have canceled them. .

In general, "half as many people will take Christmas holidays as last year," says Jean-Pierre Mas.