Travel Village Group chief slams ‘ridiculous’ proposal to ban adult-only hotels in France

Travel Village Group chief executive Phil Nuttall has urged the industry to push back against moves in France to ban adult-only hotels, describing the proposals as “ridiculous”.

 

French senator Laurence Rossignol plans to introduce a private member’s bill that would make it illegal to operate child-free hotels, restaurants and campsites, The Times reported last week.

 

French government lawyers are also reportedly looking into whether it would be possible to take legal action against venues that exclude families.

 

Nuttall said the proposals were “beyond belief”, adding: “These people are so out of touch.”

 

He called on the industry to be vigilant about such developments, which he said could cause considerable damage if implemented.

 

“Adult-only hotels and cruises are a significant part of the UK travel industry, so people should have this loony stuff on their radar,” he said.

 

He added: “If it gains momentum in France, it just takes some loon to get hold of it and then it could get integrated into EU law.”

 

Historically, he would have dismissed the chances of such a policy receiving approval, he said, but he now takes a more cautious approach.

 

“You need to have these things on your radar,” he said. “In the past, I wouldn’t have given it a second glance, but now unfortunately the world we’re living in means we can’t take these things for granted and these people can damage the industry, so you have to slap it down and deal with it.”

 

Rossignol, a member of the Socialist Party, told French radio station RMC that banning children from venues was an example of discrimination.

 

She added: “It is a sign of intolerance in our societies. It is the ultimate stage of a society in which children have disappeared from collective space because they are considered too noisy or turbulent.”

 

Sarah El Haïry, the high commissioner for childhood, said the adult-only trend could amount to “violence against children”, The Times reported.

 

She told radio station RFI: “A child shouts, laughs and moves … We are institutionalising the idea that silence is a luxury and the absence of children is a luxury.”

 

Nuttall said he loved spending time with his grandchildren, but he also appreciated opportunities for quieter moments.