The UK short-break market to France is booming as more low-cost carriers introduce new routes, opening up fresh destinations at discount prices.
While Eurostar and Eurotunnel have encouraged short trips to Paris and the north of the country, the low-cost flights are bringing more business to the south. Even though many of the low-cost carriers do not offer commission to the trade, operators are taking the opportunity to offer hotel-only options in these fledgling city-break destinations.
Nice on the Cote d’Azur is seeing an increasing amount of short-break business. EasyJet, which began flying to the city four years ago, is adding an extra flight from Luton this summer, bringing the total to five daily. BA’s franchise partner, CityFlyer Express starts a daily service from Gatwick in July which will fly twice daily by August and Debonair is resuming its daily flight from Luton this month after a winter break.
Travelscene commercial manager Paul Stanley said: “Nice is only an 1hr 30mins away from the UK and places like Cannes and Monte Carlo are within easy reach. It was perceived as an exclusive area but people are beginning to see the price of a short break here is as cheap as Paris. The weather is great, the food delicious, demand is growing fast.”
In April, Ryanair launched new services to Biarritz on the southwest coast and Dinard in Brittany, following the success of the introduction of flights to Carcassonne, near Toulouse, and St Etienne, near Lyons, last year. Jersey European Airways is also launching a flight to Toulouse from Birmingham this summer.
Kirker Holidays managing director Christopher Kirker said:”Carcassonne is a wonderful destination and is proving to be popular. It’s the largest working fortified medieval city in the world and is in a part of France which has never really been opened up before.”
Tour operators are also very positive about the potential of Biarritz for short breaks.
Cresta marketing manager Jane Williams said:”Biarritz is a superb short-break destination, it’s very chic with lots of style, a superb climate and lovely beach. There hasn’t been a direct flight from London for some time and it was a long haul to get there. Now it will be easy to go for just a few days and will attract new visitors.”
According to Ryanair head of communications Ethel Power, the image of the low-cost carrier as rickety and unreliable is now a thing of the past and people are realising that smaller airports mean less congestion and hassle rather than worse service. “There has been an increased awareness that low cost doesn’t mean low quality. People are becoming more adventurous, they want to try these new destinations,” she said.
Magic Cities PR manager Yasmin Sethna said some tour operators, however, question the value of savings made. The expense of travelling to Luton or Stansted may cancel out the price difference on the air fare.
She added: “The best prices are not always available and people sometimes find the difference in cost at the end of the day is not as good as they expected.”
Nevertheless, the growth of air routes is expanding the UK market to France and not just redistributing it, said French Tourist Office UK director Pascal Saint-Pere.
“The new low-fare destinations are encouraging people who had never considered going to France, especially the south, for a short break.”
While new routes are constantly under review by the low-cost carriers – EasyJet sees Lyons, Marseilles, Toulouse and Bordeaux as good potentials – no concrete deals have been made.
“New routes are being considered all the time,” said Saint-Pere. “In a new project, one carrier hopes to launch another service before next season:all I will say is it would be interesting to have something in Provence.”