Is it just a coincidence or has anyone else had no inquiries or bookings since the Brexit vote. Is it because of the diabolical exchange rate or maybe the terrorist attacks.
Anyone have any ideas or any ideas for increasing bookings.
No bookings since Brexit
No bookings since Brexit
God my french is bad
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Hells Bells
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Certainly having to work harder for them. I had a deathly silence for almost a month, then picked up some last minute French visitors for the summer, and have taken a couple of bookings for the ski season since. Someone who delayed confirming her booking for July as she was working at the polling station on referendum day changed her mind.
We only advertise in Britain so probably limiting booking opportunities, also not being fluent in French deters from advertising on the continent. Maybe things will pick when the dust settles a littleHelenB wrote:Certainly having to work harder for them. I had a deathly silence for almost a month, then picked up some last minute French visitors for the summer, and have taken a couple of bookings for the ski season since. Someone who delayed confirming her booking for July as she was working at the polling station on referendum day changed her mind.
God my french is bad
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Hells Bells
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I discovered in 2008, when the pound dropped against the euro, that it was essential to advertise to the French to keep the bookings coming in. I've gained a fair number of repeat French bookings by doing that. I've recently had my website properly translated into French (although pages aren't all complete yet), and have had an increase in traffic already.
Before the vote we werent getting to many enquiries and June/early July was probably the worst for 10 years. Since the vote things have picked up and we going to have our busiest Sept ever. We had started putting new ideas into place around April (niche sites handicap & baby friendly) so they have kicked in to improve Septembers bookings. Just hoping that is going to continue next year!
We had very few enquiries and were looking at our worst year ever. We eventually picked up three weeks but in the last two weeks we have taken two bookings for a fortnight each - last minute and for now and into September so it's looking a bit better.
We, too, noticed before that the exchange rate affected bookings but it didn't seem to affect them until the year after the rate was so bad.
We've never really found a logic to good and bad years but we were sort of expecting this year to be bad with Brexit. Add to that the exchange rate, general uncertainty, ATC strikes, fuel strikes, terrorist attacks and people queuing for 'extra security' at the Channel port crossings .............
This year it has been "what could go wrong, did go wrong" for bookings.
Having said that a few of the early enquiries disappeared because after answering questions, providing extra information, exchanging e-mails etc. at least two said "I'll just check with my husband and then book" only to then come back and say "Oh, he can't get the time off work" or "He says we can't afford it."
Not sure why that wasn't checked earlier in the booking process but hey ho!
We, too, noticed before that the exchange rate affected bookings but it didn't seem to affect them until the year after the rate was so bad.
We've never really found a logic to good and bad years but we were sort of expecting this year to be bad with Brexit. Add to that the exchange rate, general uncertainty, ATC strikes, fuel strikes, terrorist attacks and people queuing for 'extra security' at the Channel port crossings .............
This year it has been "what could go wrong, did go wrong" for bookings.
Having said that a few of the early enquiries disappeared because after answering questions, providing extra information, exchanging e-mails etc. at least two said "I'll just check with my husband and then book" only to then come back and say "Oh, he can't get the time off work" or "He says we can't afford it."
Not sure why that wasn't checked earlier in the booking process but hey ho!
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oasiscouple
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There are lots of stories, which show the misunderstandings of the referendum:oasiscouple wrote:Why should Brexit affect bookings in France? Don't understand.
Our enquiries are coming in from the UK just as before.
People think they need new passports
People think they need visas
People think they can't go to Europe any more
People fear hostility from the natives
People want to "show 'em"
Genuine factors do indeed include the FX rate, security queues at Channel crossings, terrorist fears and fear of violence around the Calais jungle.
Really, it's a "perfect storm" year.
Mols
Jumping is just dressage with speed-bumps.
I posted about the same thing months ago !
The 2015 exchange rate pound against euro rises made it our best year for bookings since it crashed in 2008 ! This year we have not had any bookings since the pound crashed because of the Brexit malarky ! Luckily we already had bookings for this summer !
France is becoming an expensive destination !! Our customers often complain about the prices in the supermarkets etc. Our clients 15 years ago would often go out to restaurants at least a couple of times a week and have now noticed that more often so they don't go at all.
The 2015 exchange rate pound against euro rises made it our best year for bookings since it crashed in 2008 ! This year we have not had any bookings since the pound crashed because of the Brexit malarky ! Luckily we already had bookings for this summer !
France is becoming an expensive destination !! Our customers often complain about the prices in the supermarkets etc. Our clients 15 years ago would often go out to restaurants at least a couple of times a week and have now noticed that more often so they don't go at all.
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oasiscouple
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Most of my UK guests have said this hopefully things will change, always the optimistoasiscouple wrote:For who?Jensen wrote:France is becoming an expensive destination !!
This year we have had guests from Norway, Belgium, Denmark, Germany and France plus 6 different families from the UK (including Ireland). I haven't heard anyone complain about prices in France.
I read somewhere that Paris hotel room occupancy was down from 70% to 40% this summer, so catastrophic for the capital. Visitors to Mont St Michel up the road from me are half that of normal so the shops there are really suffering. But other than that I've seen plenty of British number plates in the area and I've had bookings for later on this year and next year from them despite the exchange rate not being great.
My big problem is the price of Brittany Ferries crossings now which most of my guests use. Even with the HFD 20% discount the price of crossings has increased massively in the last few years and I'm sure that puts people off.
My big problem is the price of Brittany Ferries crossings now which most of my guests use. Even with the HFD 20% discount the price of crossings has increased massively in the last few years and I'm sure that puts people off.
I have an apartment in Nice and just one enquiry since the Bastille day attack. I was pretty well booked up until mid October before then but fully empty until next april which is very unusual. My bookings come from a range of countries so to me it is not Brexit related but very much related to the terrorist attack.