FILE. Tourism in Occitanie more efficient in September: “we will have to get used to postponing our summer results”

Randonner, une activité parfaite en arrière-saison, avec des températures moins éprouvantes. Illustration J.-M. Mart

Vincent Garel is a regional councilor and president of the Occitanie regional tourism and leisure committee (CRTL). He draws up the prospects for the late season and draws his analysis from them.

Vincent Garel, President of the Occitanie Regional Tourism and Leisure Committee. Midi Libre – JEAN-MICHEL MART

How is the late season shaping up in the region ?

To date, the status of bookings in September is considered good or very good by 54% of tourism professionals in Occitanie. However, we know that for this less busy period, bookings are made at the last minute and are often dependent on the weather at the time. Coastal professionals are, however, more optimistic (69%). In the figures, booking rates for platform accommodation reveal positive trends compared to previous years despite a slight delay in the first ten days of September. There are even significant increases compared to 2022 with, in detail, 750,000 nights booked for September (+19% in two years, +3.6% in one year) and 320,000 in October (+32%).

Who benefits from this?

It is tourist residences (+8.6%) and campsites (+5.1%) that attract the most customers. Destination-wise, we're likely to see the summer hits: the coastline of course, but also the countryside, which should do well. Even if, of course, it depends a lot on the weather. As proof, last-minute bookings continue to flow in, we've gained another 3.2 points of occupancy in one week.

September and October winning, this is becoming a structural fact ?

Since Covid, we find ourselves with a month of September that is actually as long, if not better, than the month of July. We now have two seasons, a large spring-summer block that runs until the All Saints' Day holidays, then autumn and winter which make up the other block. I think we will have to get used to taking stock of the summer season rather at the end of September or even the beginning of October (smile).

Will this change your policy ?

I would rather say that it is because we have structured our offer that it works. For several seasons, we have been working with our institutional partners on specific communication on the off-season. We create with the professional sectors the conditions for a good reception, for example by ensuring that we maintain a catering or leisure offer. And then, the territories themselves are working on it. In March, we launched a call for projects for sustainable and responsible tourism and among the 114 applications received, we had many on roaming and the mountains, proof that they are thinking about developing their offer to develop their attractiveness throughout the season.

Occitanie must therefore be attractive not only in summer…

We are working on it. For example, we approached the major social work committees of the professions mobilized during the Olympic Games, the national police and Paris hospitals where holidays were postponed, to make them offers. We are constantly structuring our communication and not just for the summer.

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