Wilfried Devillers, edited by Ophélie Artaud 08:04, July 10, 2022
Of the 34 million French people going on vacation this summer, 21 million are July fans.
This weekend, many of them took the road to vacation earlier than expected.
The good weather but also the lower prices in July than in August have encouraged many holidaymakers to book, sometimes at the last minute.
Many French people hit the road for vacation earlier than usual.
Many departures at the beginning of July.
An unmistakable sign, this Saturday, France was red in the direction of departures, black in the Rhône-Alpes region according to Bison Futé.
Of the 34 million French people going on vacation this summer, 21 million are July fans.
This is two million more than in previous years, before the Covid.
In Paris, the streets suddenly emptied.
20% higher occupancy rate than in 2019 in hotels
In this usually very busy district of the 15ᵉ arrondissement, the holidays have indeed begun.
Much quieter streets, less frequented shops and for some, the impatience to leave.
Sarah is leaving in a few days and she notices a change in the streets of the capital.
"Fewer people in the metro, especially during the week. And there, for example, this morning, to go buy my bread, I queued for less time. We feel that as July 14 approaches, Paris is empty,” she says.
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In Paris as elsewhere, many city dwellers hit the road for vacation earlier this year.
In tourist areas, hotel establishments show an occupancy rate 20% higher than in 2019. A post-Covid effect, but not only.
Lower rates
"On the one hand, prices are lower in July than in August and this comes into play in a period when purchasing power is affected by inflation. The second phenomenon is the weather which is excellent this year and which encourages a lot of last-minute reservations", explains Didier Arino, director of the Protourisme cabinet.
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Larger departures in July, despite declining purchasing power.
Even if the economic context is also changing habits, with sometimes shorter holidays.