According to the president of the main union in the sector, some hotels are seeing their reservations decrease.
The hotel and restaurant sector is banging its fist on the table. “Now we have to stop, we cannot block all of France”implored Roland Héguy, president of the Union of trades and industries of the hotel industry (Umih), on the antenna of France Bleu Vaucluse, to the address of the employees who block the refineries and the deposits of TotalEnergies for several weeks.
Field reports indicate that some hotels are suffering from fuel shortages and transport strikes. “There is up to 60% cancellation in business tourism establishments for this week”explained the representative of the hoteliers, waving the following principle: “when there is no more mobility, there is no more activity”. Another consequence of the strike on the sector: “more than 30% less turnover in certain restaurants at lunchtimeThis week, said the president of Umih on France 2 on Tuesday morning.
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However, these figures should be treated with caution. Umih does not have precise data on all of the 18,000 hotels and 180,000 restaurants in the country. Especially since since the health crisis, consumption habits have changed: reservations and cancellations tend to be made at the last minute. Impossible, therefore, to prejudge what could happen during the All Saints holidays for the sector. “For now, there is no particular concern about this, bookings should remain at a high, even a very high level”warns a good connoisseur of the sector.
The summer season has proven to be “excellent” for the tourism sector, according to Tourism Minister Olivia Grégoire. “We had an extraordinary season, everyone was happy”, confirmed the president of Umih. At the end of August, the Minister explained that the season “could be record if the forecasts for the end of the season are confirmed”.
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