All Saints' Day holidays: last minute bookings are on the rise

Charles Guyard, edited by Antoine Terrel 8:03 am, October 24, 2021

REPORTING

Covid effect requires, the French will go on vacation more than usual on All Saints' Day, after a year marked by the restrictions put in place against the coronavirus epidemic.

Thus, in Morbihan, there has been a 30% increase in reservations.

And more and more, holidays are organized at the last minute.

Something to surprise professionals. 

INTERVIEW - 

All Saints' Day holidays: how to explain the increase in bookings this year?

"It happens that we have people who arrive in the courtyard to ask us if we do not have a room available", tells Elisabeth Stella-Rousseau, the manager of the Domaine de Kérizel.

With vacation dates and destinations more and more decided on a whim, she has had to adapt.

"It requires some organization for us. We always have to have the rooms ready to be rented at the last minute, especially if the weather is right. It's pretty intense when it's like that."

"Peaks in calls"

Especially since coastal municipalities have sometimes installed webcams that broadcast live images of the beach as in Damgan. And seeing a beautiful sun on the ocean, "it can also trigger very fast departures", explains Laurie Le Trionnaire, director of the Tourist Office.

And when the weather is fine, the reservation centers wriggle.

"The customers, they saw that the weather was fine, and paf, they want to come to Morbihan. There are peaks in the level of calls," confirms Yves Jehanno, director of Gîtes de France in Morbihan.

Result: the latter had to support the rental companies, not used to a more volatile clientele.

"Historically, Gîtes de France is weekly rentals booked well in advance. We explained to our owners by saying 'trends, that's it. Be prepared'," he continues.

And in the department, we expect more than 20% of last minute bookings during these holidays.