Despite the epidemic threat, the French remain authorized to travel.

The flagship destinations for these winter holidays are in the West Indies, while in France the mountainous regions, usually favored during this period, are abandoned in favor of the seaside.

Some 750,000 people are expected in the stations this weekend, France remaining one of the few countries in Western Europe where travel from one region to another is still allowed without restrictions as the holidays approach.

But some French people have also decided to spend the end of the year away from home, and on Saturday the queues were lengthening at airports after weeks of shutdown. 

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The Antilles popular with travelers

Tour operators hope to achieve at least a third of their activity last year in these rather special end-of-year celebrations.

For the moment, reservations are focused on the West Indies, with Guadeloupe and Martinique.

The Dominican Republic, Mexico, Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, the Balearics and the Canaries are also among the preferred destinations.

Each time, a PCR test is requested, on the way there and on the way back.

But once there, all these countries plan a welcome "under the sign of holidays", according to René-Marc Chikli, president of the union of tour operators.

“In all of these destinations, obviously, restaurants and bars are open. Excursions can be done. When you're in Egypt, for example, you arrive on a tour, you get your temperature checked and social distancing is respected. is organized to welcome tourists ", he argues with Europe 1.

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Brittany dethrones mountain regions for winter reservations

On the rental side in France, before confinement, the flagship trio of reservations was Savoie, Haute-Savoie and Vosges.

But since the announcement of the closure of the ski lifts, the podium has changed to Morbihan, Bouches-du-Rhône and Pyrénées Atlantiques on the Abritel platform, and Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes and Occitanie for Gîtes de France, with an occupancy rate of 50% compared to last winter.