Tourism in France goes back to normal as the country has officially reopened for vaccinated international travellers. “We are already seeing availability issues in July and August,”.
Explains Philip Haslet, co-founder of the French travel specialist Kairos, speaking from his home in Provence.
France has officially reopened to (vaccinated) international travellers—and not a moment too soon, say travel agents, who have immediately found themselves scrambling to meet the demand. “We are already seeing availability issues in July and August,” explains Philip Haslet, co- founder of the French travel specialist Kairos, speaking from his home in Provence. “This is the busiest I think I’ve been—ever.”
That’s good news for the travel industry, which needs to make up for a year and half ‘s worth of deficits. But for travellers, it leaves a lot to untangle; some are piecing together short stays at multiple resorts to work around booked-up dates and other restrictions. Combine this with the fact that many of France’s most exciting hotel openings are still to come, and there may be good reason to (briefly) delay a visit.
Plus, says Haslet, August should still be relatively quiet amid the typical summer closures in Paris and beyond. “This is France,” he exclaims. There may be fewer businesses closing for the month, “but I fear that the underlying Gallic DNA will kick in.”
Not that there’s ever a bad time to visit France. So whether that’s in the near future or after more dust settles, here are the hotels to prioritize … assuming you can get in.
