Florin Hossu, edited by Romain Rouillard 3:43 p.m., July 04, 2022

Due to inflation, estimated at 5.8%, the cost of holidays is skyrocketing for the French.

For example, the price of a flight between Paris and Fort-de-France in Martinique has jumped 20% in recent weeks.

A real blow for local tourism which has already lost 40% of visitors in two years of the pandemic.

The cost of the 2022 summer holidays promises to be steep for the French.

As a result of inflation, hotels, campsites, plane tickets are subject to a substantial rise in prices.

In Martinique, where Europe 1 visited, travel professionals are the first to worry about this increase.

All the more so in this overseas department which has lost nearly 40% of its tourism in two years of the Covid pandemic. 

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Although the July-August period does not correspond to the high season in this overseas territory, the impact is already very heavy for Brice, boss of an agency in Fort-de-France.

"Over the last two months, we have had an increase of €120 on plane tickets departing from Paris, for an average price of tickets which is around €600. So it's not the right time. We thought that we were finally out of this Covid crisis. We got out of it, but we find ourselves in this new crisis which will have a very significant impact", he regrets. 

Martinique, very dependent on metropolitan tourism

A concern shared by all tourism stakeholders.

Metropolitan visitors represent half of the turnover of Kevin, owner of a car rental company.

"Today, we are recording a 20% drop in our reservations. This context of increased ticket prices plus the Covid which continues to evolve unpredictably does not help the situation at all. And today, we are worried about the short season that we would have liked to be able to do".

Each year, flights departing from Paris represent more than 70% of arrivals in Martinique.

Soaring airline ticket prices may well change the situation this year.