For the holidays, it will be this little house with blue shutters a stone’s throw from the beach, or this studio in the heart of the city. If they are not staying with family or friends, the French now favor seasonal rentals over hotels or campsites. In Nouvelle-Aquitaine, the leading tourist destination region in 2023, the supply of furnished accommodation has evolved considerably in recent years.
P.For the holidays, it will be this little house with blue shutters a stone’s throw from the beach, or this studio in the heart of the city. If they are not staying with family or friends, the French now favor seasonal rentals over hotels or campsites. In Nouvelle-Aquitaine, the leading tourist destination region in 2023, the supply of furnished accommodation has evolved considerably in recent years.
“There are very tense situations, but we need a nuanced look at the issue: not all territories experience it in the same way”
Rental platforms have certainly accelerated the phenomenon and transformed it into a fundamental trend. Nearly 160,000 housing units are now available in the region. “There are very tense situations, but we need a nuanced look at the issue: not all territories experience it in the same way,” notes Aurélie Loubes, director of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine Regional Tourism Committee.
Different logics depending on the territories
Seasonal rentals represent 25% of tourist attendance in Gironde. It’s actually half in the Basque Country, where elected officials are working to find solutions so that furnished tourist accommodation does not replace accommodation. Measures which seem to be paying off since in 2023, supply will decline by 9%. An exception.
The number of nights in furnished accommodation has jumped by +130% since 2019 in Dordogne. They represent a third of the beds offered in Périgord. And if campsites resist, traditional hotels have lost 5% of overnight stays in 2023. “In places, furnished accommodation clearly responds to a lack of commercial beds, even if we need other modes of accommodation which provide jobs, assures Aurélie Loubes. The use of furnished tourist accommodation increased by +10% in the coastal departments and by +20% in the inland departments. »
In Charente-Maritime, furnished rental offers have jumped by +30% in recent years, with some consequences also on real estate pressure in La Rochelle. Stéphane Villain, president of Charentes Tourisme, also explains that “certain owners who rented ‘between individuals’ ended up getting into trouble by declaring themselves to their town hall”.
More and more primary residences
Traditionally, whether it is a small house on the coast, an apartment with a sea view or a beautiful building in the countryside, furnished rentals are often second homes that the owners rent out to cover running costs. . “Either a few weeks in high season, or on short vacations if they prefer to occupy their accommodation during the summer. It has become a significant additional income in this period of high inflation,” assures Stéphane Villain. Other owners also choose rental after inheriting a property to maintain their assets.
The real revolution, facilitated by the platforms, is that main residences can now be found in classified ads
The real revolution, facilitated by rental platforms, is that main residences can now be found in classified ads. “In total, families leave one to two months per year,” estimates Stéphane Villain. “They push their business into a corner, and the rental will fuel their vacation budget. Many young couples do this, including on off-season weekends. » With the online tool, they manage the rental schedule as they wish.
According to the tourism professionals interviewed (not all of them have this type of data on owners), rental investors are hardly present in this market.
The Lot-et-Garonne Departmental Tourism Committee directly supports rental companies in the management of their furnished accommodation, in particular to “strengthen the offer of large-capacity lodgings, ideal for family reunions or stays with friends”, specifies Maryse Garcia Alvarez. The Region has also put in place aid to support this type of project, often carried out by farmers.
The issue of classification
In Dordogne, Christophe Gravelier assures us: “We can promote the Périgord destination, we have no leverage over furnished accommodation, managed by individuals. Above all, we should move these goods upmarket.” And therefore encourage owners to have their property classified. The margin is significant: in Charente-Maritime, of the approximately 30,000 rentals available, only 6,600 are classified.
Another major challenge: relieving the overcrowding of the coastline thanks to these furnished tourist accommodations, even though they have contributed to it. “With accommodation elsewhere in the region to better distribute the flow of tourists to other places of interest,” simply suggests Stéphane Villain. Always on condition “that supply does not exceed demand”.