Corsica shunned, Brittany acclaimed... This summer, the French want to avoid the heat and preserve their budget

Romain Rouillard / Photo credit: MATHIEU THOMASSET / HANS LUCAS / HANS LUCAS VIA AFP 18:03 pm, June 21, 2023

Paying less and having less hot will be the two main objectives of French holidaymakers this summer. This is in any case what reveals a study conducted by PAP (individual to individual) and based on more than 207,000 booking requests made between January 1 and June 18, 2023. Thus, the PAPVacances.fr site has recorded a significant drop in the number of bookings for destinations that are usually stormed but more prone to high heat. Conversely, other cooler and less expensive regions are becoming more and more attractive.

The Côte d'Azur unscrews, the Côtes d'Armor are a hit

While it is still difficult to imagine the beaches of the Côte d'Azur emptied of tourists, the region is experiencing a serious decline in terms of attractiveness, according to the study. For the coming summer, PAP has seen a 21.3% decline in the number of bookings compared to the previous year. The figure is even more significant for Corsica with a contraction of 30.1%. It must be said that the Island of Beauty settles in first place of the most expensive destinations with an average rate of 1,574 euros for a week of holidays. And ahead of it... the Côte d'Azur where you have to pay an average of 1,399 euros for the same duration. Both regions are equally likely to see mercury soar. On Wednesday, June 21, the thermometer has, for example, exceeded the 41 degree mark because of the sirocco, this hot wind from the Sahara.

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A similar, although less spectacular, observation was made on the Languedoc coast with a 9.4% drop in the number of bookings. The cost of a week's rental is certainly lower (960 euros) but the department of Pyrénées-Orientales suffered violent fires during the spring, consequences of an exceptional winter drought.

Conversely, on the Atlantic coast, PAP notes the opposite phenomenon, with the exception of Aquitaine (-7.3%) which also takes place on the third step of the podium of the most expensive destinations (1,344 euros for a week). Further north, Charente-Maritime and Vendée seduce (+8.2%) but not as much as Brittany. The most meteoric increase concerns the Côtes d'Armor (+21.6%) which benefit from much more affordable rates (751 euros) and an oceanic climate less conducive to mercury flights.

The mountain and the month of September acclaimed

It is this last criterion that seems to attract the most attention of holidaymakers. Because the study reveals a massive interest in properties equipped with a swimming pool despite the additional cost that this generates and that PAP estimates between 700 and 1,000 euros per week. In addition, the mountains are also popular and the Alpine departments, often protected from the heat, recorded a 19.7% increase in bookings this summer. These regions are also among the cheapest in the country with an average of 698 euros per week. A price pulled down by the large supply of apartments, traditionally more affordable than houses. This type of property should also be favored this summer, says the study. Houses saw a 4.9% drop in bookings while apartments were up 18%.

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Finally, the French will opt more for periods generally less requested in order to enjoy their holidays. Like the second week of August, which recorded an increase of 22.2% while the month of July was down 12.2%. This year, the summer should also extend into September as the number of bookings for the last summer month jumped by 36% compared to 2022. An often cooler period... and cheaper.