Self-catering and villa specialists to France are enthusiastic about prospects for the summer with strong sales encouraging an expansion of products.
French Life Holidays added 100 new villas to its programme for 1999 to run alongside its selection of 1,300 cottages and houses. Director of retail sales Julia Slater said advance sales were strong for the villas, which are located in the Riviera, Provence, Dordogne and Brittany, and the operator was looking to expand further in its preview 2000 brochure due to be launched on August 1.
The 2000 programme will also see a 15% increase in the number of cottages and houses featured.
Meon Villas claims to have seen a 49%growth for its Dordogne programme encouraging it to add five new houses in the region to its third-edition brochure. Marketing director Susan Williams said growth in sales revenue was outstripping passenger numbers, indicating that clients were trading up to more luxurious properties.
The lead-in price for a property on the Cote d’Azur is £434 including ferry or Eurotunnel from Folkestone/Dover to Calais for car and up to five passengers.
Sunworld Beach Villas claims its new dedicated brochure for France and Tuscany has generated record sales for France this summer. Running alongside its Beach Villas brochure, the programme features 20 properties in Provence and the Cote d’Azur.
Product manager Nathalie Bourguet said: “Bookings have exceeded expectations and have increased in France nearly fourfold year on year, with 50% of sales generated via our Web site.” The lead-in price is £1,075 per villa per week, staying at a three-bedroom property in Fayence, Cote d’Azur. Flights are available from Heathrow to Nice.
Vacances en Campagne, part of the Individual Travellers Company, reports that its properties with pools in the south of France have almost sold out for the peak summer months though there are pockets of availability on certain dates.