The thermometer is ticking. Last weekend, France experienced an episode of abnormal heat, with temperatures that easily exceeded 30° in some places, such as in Bégaar (Landes), where the national record for the month of October was broken (35.9°).
If the mercury has since dropped, the weather should continue to be summery this weekend: Météo France once again expects maximums above 30°. Enough to encourage the French to indulge in a getaway for a few days.
“The end of the season is taking off, especially in some well-located establishments, near the coast or in areas with large populations,” says Olivier Petit, associate director of In Extenso Tourisme Culture Hôtellerie.
Online searches are increasing
For a stay planned for the last weekend of September, Expedia had already seen a 15% increase in hotel searches on its platform compared to last year. The increase in these same searches is even more impressive for this weekend of October 6-8: +60%.
For its part, Booking saw a 28% increase in search trends for the entire period between September 29 and October 7 compared to the same period last year.
The director of the La Pergola hotel in the center of Arcachon, Caroline Pomarede, confirms the trend: “There are a lot of people moving around, last minute reservations over time… It is almost full. (…) The impact is really “The weather. “It’s almost like August.”
More attractive prices
Didier Arino, general director of Protourisme, also noted a “record influx” in the Pyrenees at the beginning of October and highlighted that tourists, traditionally retired at this time of year, are rather made up of young professionals.
This tourism professional has an 8% increase in attendance throughout the fall, that is, one million more tourists compared to last year. A figure that will have to be consolidated since a third of the reservations are made, according to him, at the last minute during this period.
If the weather contributes to this dynamic, prices, 40% cheaper on average than in July and August, could encourage the French to leave in October. Especially since rates continued to drop between the last weekend of September and this weekend: “The average price of a hotel night is currently 137 euros, a drop of around 14% annually compared to the last weekend (from September 29 to October 1), where prices averaged 159 euros per night,” says the comparator Kayak.
The good weather also seems to encourage more and more French people to book a stay for the All Saints’ festivities. Gîtes de France recorded a 9% increase in bookings during this period, with an occupancy rate of 57%, up from 52% last year. Enough to make Laurent Barthélémy, national president of seasonal companies at the UMIH, say that the summer season has been extended: “We will take stock of the season at the end of October or beginning of November.”
Source: BFM TV
