As part of the strengthening of anti-covid measures, the government and its Prime Minister Jean Castex are implementing much stricter controls at French borders. It now takes a compelling reason to get out of the country. Yet another blow for the tourism sector, already strongly affected by the crisis for a year.
90% of trips canceled or postponed since spring 2020
“We are obliged to cancel all departures for the coming weeks, especially for school holidays”, testifies Sylvie Steitz, director of Voyage Conseil Bourgogne in Dijon, particularly affected by the closure of links with French Polynesia, her specialty. “This is the destination that we sell the most to the agency, obviously this has a strong impact, for example we had newlyweds who were to leave next Saturday.”
Like many others, Sylvie Steitz faces great difficulties. 90% of trips have been canceled or postponed for a year, “there is not much, if not at all, in terms of yield” she said, most of the activity for some time now consists in reassuring customers who have already left. Sylvie Steitz looks ahead with concern at the lack of prospects, well aware that her survival depends on state aid and partial unemployment measures.
Wine tourists asked to stay at home
Another activity, same fight in Saint-Philibert for Sonia Guyon, at the head of Burgundy Emotion, a company specializing in wine tourism aimed at foreign audiences, especially English speakers. It has been “completely at a standstill since but 2020”, and seeks to reinvent itself in the face of the epidemic.
“We are adapting. This means that we are going to target a slightly more local clientele, either Burgundian or French. And we will readjust our offers, so that everything is accessible for them. Readjust to the price level, while offering the same quality of service, with things a little more personalized, a little more unusual and unique. ”
As for the prospects, they are also blurry for Sonia Guyon, not very inclined to optimism: “I can’t really comment, because I don’t know, nobody knows. All I can say is that I am always motivated, to respond to customers who wish to discover Burgundy wines, and I have other plans to meet their demands. “
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