It is difficult not to associate the summer of 2022 with the season of favorites. Between crowded beaches, packed trains and record attendance at certain locations, the summer period will offer tourism professionals a breath of fresh air after the Covid crisis. In France, this increase in activity also affected outdoor accommodation. According to a preliminary report by the National Outdoor Hotels Federation (FNHPA), campgrounds are showing a 17% increase in overnight stays from 2021 and are set to surpass the 130 million overnight mark.
If the French have greatly contributed to this success, then the foreigners are also not without a part. This summer they represented 44% of France’s camp customers. The good news is somewhat overshadowed by extreme climatic episodes, such as Corsica’s numerous heat waves or even thunderstorms. So many dangers have already been addressed by the profession, reveals FNHPA president Nicholas Deyot.
LE FIGARO. – You are celebrating a “2022 record season” in the camping industry. How would you explain this summer’s success?
Nicholas DAYOT. – This success comes in the context of Covid and post-Covid, where the French and foreigners wanted to get fresh air, leave the concrete of the cities to enjoy nature. Arshan meets this need as most of our offer is in rural areas. Also, the value for money is good. Be that as it may, camping seems to be one of the most expensive collective accommodations. When you rent a property for €2,000 a week, for example, you can get away with €1,200 with a high-end mobile home.
With the affordability crisis, have you noticed a change in vacationer behavior?
We noticed that vacationers wanted to save fuel. As a result, some of them left near their homes. As France has the largest campsite network in Europe, it’s easy to find one not far from home. However, not everyone behaved in the same way. Many of our European neighbours, such as the Belgians, Germans and Dutch, made their way to France when they too were hit by rising fuel prices.
Overall, vacationers tried to keep the bill down. Many people limited the number of visits and chose to stay in the vicinity of their accommodation. In a sense, the campsites with pools, restaurants and other activities have done well.
Between heatwaves, wildfires and severe storms in Corsica, what has been the impact of the vagaries of the weather this summer?
The hot weather has reshuffled the cards between north and south. The coastline continued to capture, but the interior was more affected by the high temperatures. Also, some areas have received bad publicity, such as the Verdon gorges, which are often shown on television as dry. Then the local pros had a series of cancellations. As for the wildfires, several camps were indeed affected. We think of Dune du Pilat, which had to be closed. But they are exceptional. As for the hurricanes in Corsica, the damaged infrastructure did not see their customers flee. In the following days, the vacationers returned to the camps. The amount of nights lost due to these climatic hazards was therefore minimal.
Faced with these extreme climate episodes, how is the camping sector adapting?
We have been working on transforming camps in the face of climate change for 15 years. We often have unique locations that require customization. First of all, attention should be paid to the protection of people. The procedures that we have been implementing with the state for 30 years have paid off this summer. More than 14,000 campers were able to evacuate within a few hours in Corsica, which is exceptional. Other challenges relate to the adaptation of buildings and camps as a whole. This last question presents some difficulties. Because constraints are important, especially at the factory level. We ask the state to create a legal framework, which does not yet exist, to reduce the vulnerability of the camps.
What adaptive solutions have you already considered?
There are many lines of thought. We can reduce the vulnerability of some properties to flooding by stacking them. Materials also need to be adapted so that we can clean up the mess quickly. In case of erosion problems, it is possible to provide temporary site protection by moving all or part of the camp. Another case is to prevent the spread of fires, for example, it is necessary to change the vegetation. We have solutions, but before applying them, you need to know the rules of the game. We need to work with the state at the top to deploy the necessary investments. And it will be necessary to do it six months after the tourist season.
Source: Le Figaro
