Pointe des Corbeaux at Ile d'Yeu in Vendée. - JEAN-SEBASTIEN EVRARD / AFP

  • Tourism in Pays-de-la-Loire was hit hard by the Covid-19 crisis.
  • The Region launched a major communication campaign at the end of June to revive tourist activity at half mast.
  • Five major visuals will be available, notably in the regional daily press and by posters in Pays-de-la-Loire and Paris.

You probably won't escape it. From the end of June, the Pays-de-la-Loire region launches a major communication campaign to revive tourist activity. "We have another look at this launch following this Covid-19 crisis which has fully affected the tourism sector," said Christelle Morance, President of the Region, at a press conference on Monday.

In Pays-de-la-Loire, tourism is 18 million visitors per year, 65,000 jobs, 6.9 billion in turnover, 7.5% of GDP (or even more for certain departments)… “The season tourist from Easter to June was very complicated, we must now save that from July to September! ", Hopes Franck Louvrier, regional advisor in charge of tourism and president of the regional tourism committee. To do this, the communication campaign will aim to encourage Ligerians, residents of neighboring cities and Parisians (1/4 of tourists in the region are Ile-de-France) to discover or rediscover the region. In short, seduce the closest. "We want to make vacation regionalism", sums up Franck Louvrier. "It will be more complicated with foreign customers [18% of tourists in the region are foreign]," predicts Christelle Morance.

Five visuals visible everywhere

Five major visuals will be available in the regional daily press, by posting in Pays-de-la-Loire and Paris, and on the Web and social networks. On each poster, five photos of emblematic places or places to (re) discover from each of the five departments making up the region. "An exceptional media plan", in the words of Franck Louvrier, to ultimately  help tourism professionals to restart their activity. "We were in an artificial coma for two and a half months," says François Taillandier, president of the union of hotel trades and industries in the region. There we are convalescent. "

A “gloomy” situation for professionals

66% of tourist structures in the region have been closed since Easter. The vast majority deplore a loss of turnover of at least 50%. "The hotels in the region have an occupancy rate of 15%, for example," explains François Taillandier. Many are still closed. »« As of June 11, in the campsites, the occupancy rates for July (42%) and August (53%) are far below the usual rates. At this time of year, we tend to be close to 60% in July and 90% in August, ”explains Franck Chadeau, president of the Vendée Federation of outdoor accommodation. The campaign, which costs 600,000 euros, will be launched at the end of June to try to reverse a trend that is “gloomy” for the moment.

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  • Deconfinement
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