French holidays going cheaper
Decline in bookings has resulted in cheap offers galore
Bookings in some French resorts have fallen by as much as 40 per cent, and visitors are now being offered massively-discounted prices to entice them.
Today’s edition of The Times quotes Le Parisien, which proclaims: “There have never been as many holidays still available in France at this time of year, sometimes with terribly attractive prices in an attempt to persuade last-minute customers. Even on the normally-busy Riviera, cheap holidays are on offer following a 20 per cent slump in bookings earlier this year.
The newspaper quotes prices at the “elegant” residence Residence Maupassant, which have been cut by around 15 per cent. One tour operator said: “The summer isn’t selling and there are places everywhere, even in August.”
Commentators say there are multitude of reasons for the slump in bookings. Germans, who normally flock to west coast resorts, are staying away because of fears over the recent Prestige oil spill, while tensions over this year’s war on Iraq have led to a massive fall in visitor numbers from the United States. Visitors from the US traditionally represent big business for luxury establishments; one five-star hotel is said to be 54 per cent down in terms of bookings.
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