Summer 2021: the season of the relaunch?

The summer of 2021 was eagerly awaited by all French people, after long months marked by lockdowns and the implementation of a curfew. Summer holidays are an opportunity for French households to go on holiday, to enjoy a moment of rest. Unsurprisingly, they show themselves at the rendezvous, but their habits are different from those of previous years… Years when the COVID-19 pandemic did not yet exist. What are the new habits of French households for their summer holidays? In an environment marked by the application of the sanitary pass and the desire to enjoy… How are the holidays prepared?

Summer 2021 will be mostly in France

87% of French people stay in France for their summer holidays. This large proportion of people who choose to stay there rather than go abroad can be explained in several ways. First of all, the uncertainty of the situation in the face of the pandemic. Many times, reversals of situation force families to cancel their stay at the last moment. In addition, not all countries have yet allowed the return of tourists to their soil. Others always impose a quarantine on arrival, which does not delight those who can not enjoy their stay.

Another phenomenon also encourages tourism in France: the mobilization to participate in the economic recovery of the country. A way to support all tourism professionals and sectors of activity strongly impacted by the pandemic and its consequences. The French want this summer to be an opportunity to discover the regions of France, to get closer to their territory. A holiday just as exotic, but also good for the economy.

Overall, French tourists stay not far from their region of residence. If they do not leave their own region, they only go to the bordering regions for the most part. This rapprochement of their place of life coincides with later bookings than for previous seasons. A need to reconnect with your environment, to enjoy without cluttering a long journey …

The summer of 2021 will therefore be a tricolor summer, and a good operation for provincial hotels, overall with full reservations for the season. This is good news for hotel professionals, who want to relaunch their business as soon as possible after several months without activity. This summer marks the first summer of frank recovery, especially with the deployment of vaccination.

Beach holidays aquitaine
The coastline is very popular for summer holidays.

Behaviours in the regions that differ

Summer is the ideal time to go with your family, to recharge your batteries away from your routine. However, the Tricolor households did not leave very far from home. The desire to enjoy a stay close to home, but also exotic, in a trend that is revealed: slow tourism. The art of getting closer to nature, of taking the time to appreciate, far from tourist destinations.

Also, in France, three regions stand out, as being the three favorite regions of the summer. In first place, the Provence Alpes Côte d’Azur region, followed by Normandy and Île de France. If this may seem surprising, it is explained by the desire to go close to home for the summer.

What about Bordeaux and Nouvelle-Aquitaine? In general, the people of Bordeaux want to stay in their region. 49%, or 1 in 2 people enjoy a holiday in their region. It must be said that there are many activities to do there, many landscapes. The region counts on the reputation of its coastline as well as on its more rural part… That its mountains, in the Pyrenees. A variety of landscapes that seduce tourists, including the Neo-Aquitaine themselves.

But the people of Bordeaux stand out from other tourists. They are the ones who are the most “unpredictable” to organize their holidays. Indeed, they book their summer holidays only 15 days before their departure, compared to an average of 21 days for other French tourists. Why such a late booking for this region? The majority do not reserve for a family, which makes flexibility more important.

Another observation is the increase in the average basket dedicated to summer holidays. In 2021, it is up 5% compared to 2020… and 21% compared to 2019! The French are more eager to enjoy after the pandemic and look less at their expenses. For all local actors, this good news is enough to put a smile back on their faces.

Sources:

Summer 2021: Focus on a French holiday. Weekendesk published on August 7, 2021

Summer holidays 2021 of the French: towards a return to normal? DNA Tourism

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