Capricious weather, elections… The summer season is struggling to get off the ground in Gard

Les premiers touristes déambulent dans les rues du Grau du Roi. N.R

Dans le Gard, la saison estivale se faisait attendre, au grand dam des commerçants. Elle devrait enfin débuter avec les vacances d’été et une météo plus clémente.

In Collias, at the Barralet campsite, there are "fewer people" compared to the’ last year. Laurie Andréotti estimates that the campsite is currently "35% full". The clientele is mainly foreign, made up of Belgians, Germans and Dutch. The clerk at the reception is expecting "a little action starting next week". Le Barralet has around sixty pitches for motorhomes and tents, preferred over mobile homes. "We come back to the tent a lot", observes Laurie. She puts forward the hypothesis of "cost", campsites being less expensive than houses.

"It’was easier in other years"

At Grau-du-Roi, same story. "The month of June was very quiet, there are still places left for the month of July, but it is filling up. August is almost full." announces Mathilde Sauvaire, co-director of four Yelloh! in Languedoc-Roussillon.

The beach is still far from full! N.R.

Mélanie, 32 years old, is employed at the Abrivado ranch. Usually at this time of the year his reservation book for walks is full. However, whether for this week, next week or even the whole month of July, it is empty: “The season has still not started, it&m ;rsquo;was easier in other years”. The managers of a leather goods boutique, present for 15 years at Grau du Roi, estimate that whatever happens they will be in loss at the end of August, because "some lost days cannot be made up for".

Multiple causes

The capricious weather and the recent legislative elections could partly explain this delay in lighting at Grau-du-Roi. "There is a lack of reservations perhaps due to the bad weather and the elections" supposes Franck, manager of the Belle Vue hotel in England. This feeling is shared by Ophélie, saleswoman at Pick Up Snack : "The wind and bad weather keep people from going out, especially in the evening". In such conditions, it is difficult to sell ice cream, which is so popular with tourists. Vintyana, manager of the Donatucci ice cream parlor, even speaks of a "catastrophe" season. "The season hasn’not really started. Time is very much against us. We are impatiently waiting for the sunny days and the school holidays to hope for a real season.

Return to normal

Tourists nevertheless began to flock. This is the case of Paul, 17, who came from Ardèche with three friends to celebrate the end of his baccalaureate. "The weather is nice, the sun is out and there aren’not too many people in the streets or at the funfair yet, so it’s perfect for enjoying& ;nbsp;!" Others have chosen to combine business with pleasure, like Cynthia and Sarah, 19 years old. The two friends arrive from Slovakia to work for three months in a campsite and discover the south of France. "The weather is great, and so far the people are nice! We are going to enjoy, while working, a beautiful summer is coming!" they rejoice. The number of tourists is expected to skyrocket starting next week.

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