French holiday bookings for May bank holidays have jumped 15.20% compared to the same period last year, according to a new study by vacation rental platform Particulier à Particulier (PAP).
The rebound follows a slight dip in April of 1.8% and points to a significant shift in how French travelers are planning their breaks.
Seaside destinations are the clear winners, accounting for 75% of all bookings. Countryside holidays follow at 11%, with mountains at 6%, trips abroad at just 5%, and city breaks at 2%.
“For the first time in a while, the spring and Easter holidays saw a slight decline, but now there’s a real rebound during the May bank holidays,” said Laetitia Caron, CEO of PAP.
“This shows that the French aren’t giving up on holidays. They’re important to them, but they’re making pragmatic choices in a context of budget cuts and rising fuel prices.”
The Ascension weekend is the most popular period so far, accounting for 20% of stays thanks to its four-day break. The May 8th weekend follows at 15.80%, ahead of the Pentecost weekend at 14.20% and the May 1st weekend at 14.10%.
Among domestic destinations, the Atlantic coast is seeing the strongest growth. The departments of Vendée and Charente are up 20.3%, followed by the Northern Channel area covering Seine-Maritime, Somme, and Pas-de-Calais, which is up 18.90%. Normandy, encompassing Calvados and Manche, rounds out the top three with growth of 18.70%. Brittany and Loire-Atlantique are up 17.50%, while the French Riviera recorded a more modest rise of 9.10%.
Spain is telling a different story. The country, usually a firm favourite with French travellers, has seen booking requests fall 7.60% this year. Even the Costa Brava, close enough for a short drive, is down 4.20%. The PAP study describes the cost of transportation as “a real deterrent,” with rising airfares, the war in the Middle East, and soaring kerosene prices all weighing on decisions to travel abroad.
The study notes that, for the same length of stay, French travellers are increasingly choosing destinations reachable by car, which are easier to organise and more budget-friendly. PAP describes this year’s May holidays as characterised by last-minute bookings concentrated around the bank holiday weekends, with trips that are shorter, more accessible, and more flexible than in previous years.
“There’s a responsiveness to current events, and again to the environment and the weather,” said Laetitia Caron, CEO of PAP. By choosing France over other countries, “people aren’t taking any risks,” she added.
Photo Credit: dvoevnore / Shutterstock.com
