The prolongation of the war and its possible extension could call into question a rather favorable start to the 2022 tourist season in Gironde. For February, professionals consider themselves to be rather satisfied and they note a good level of bookings for spring. Eric Gonzalez, director of Gironde Tourisme takes stock of the first trends and questions related to the conflict in Ukraine.
France Bleu Gironde: How is this 2022 tourist season looking?
Eric González: A few days ago it looked good. 2021 was a decent season that only started in July given the containment measures, but it went well. For 2022 we had good reason to hope. We had a very positive February holiday. We also now have very correct levels of reservations in hotels and outdoor accommodation. Now to say what the repercussions of the events in Ukraine will be on the behavior of tourists in the short or medium term is complicated. We think that the reflex that many holidaymakers had in 2021 to stay not far from home should continue in 2022.
This means French tourism in France and in this context, the Gironde has great assets, doesn’t it?
This is indeed the result we had in 2021 with a very strong French presence in Gironde. We do have great assets: the coast and the Bassin d’Arcachon, but also the vineyards, the Bordeaux heritage and throughout the Gironde area a whole set of important heritage offers. I’m thinking of Bazas for example, with its way to Compostela. Many cities are now ready to welcome tourists: La Réole, Blaye and Libourne have developed their offers. The Gironde is not just the coast and Bordeaux. The whole of the Girondin territory offers a very interesting heritage.
Are you also looking to develop this tourism throughout the year?
The idea is not to have more tourists for more tourism, but to have “better” tourism. It is tourism accessible to all: accessibility to the handicapped, of course, but also economic accessibility, accessibility throughout the year and accessibility throughout the Gironde area. The Gironde is an exceptional land for getting some fresh air, whether on the coast, in the Landes forest, in Entre-deux-Mers, or Cubzaguais.