Carcassonne. July 14 marked the real start of the summer season

A crowded Place du Prado: if we refer to the crowds observed yesterday morning in the city of Carcassonne, the tourist season is already in full swing on the side of the Aude prefecture. This is certainly true, but it is above all very recent. And it is precisely this Monday that the serious things really begin.

The deputy mayor in charge of tourism, Magali Bardou, visited the “hosts, restaurants and cafés”. The analysis is unanimous: “The season started late, just before July 14thindicates the chosen one. But this is explained! The date of the exam results means that people have been waiting, because parents also have to worry about finding accommodation for their children at the start of the next school year, sometimes in new cities, which always involves complicated logistics. Families prefer to sort this out before going on vacation.”. The merchant of the Cité, Laurence Gasc is also the elected official in charge of said monument. Two hats that allow him to observe this phenomenon live.

Americans, Canadians…

“The beginning of July was relatively calm, but it has been like this for several years already because the school term ends late for everyone.analyze. Previously the children were on holiday at the end of June, maximum on 2 July. This time it was Friday the 8th! Give people a week to get organized and acclimate, and we’ll fall on the weekend of July 14th. We see it this Monday morning (Yesterday), it’s moving a lot more on the business side!” Laurence Gasc insists: “This phenomenon is completely normal and we are really entering the tourist season”.

“We also note the presence of groups, Americans and Canadians in particular, infrequent in mid-Julyobserves for her part Muriel Brunet, director of the Tourist Office. There are also the Spaniards, because they are not afraid of the heat!” Laurence Gasc confirms: “We hear Dutch, English, Spanish, Italian… It’s also important for trade because with inflation raging in France, foreign holidaymakers might have a little more purchasing power” . Magali Bardou adds that very hot days affect the sites favored by tourists: “In the event of a heat wave, they will prefer La Cavayère rather than la Cité or la Bastide”. Muriel Brunet, however, specifying that the adaptation of the events to the new climatic situation is hitting the mark, whether it is the nocturnal visits with a lantern or the workshops for children organized at the Cité, under the courtyard of the calander.

Stability

New attendance trends remain, which also reflect new behaviours. “There are perhaps fewer peaks in attendance than before, the gatherings seem to diminish more over time, with a better distribution of attendance”believes Magali Bardou. “We don’t have data yet, but we don’t feel an increase in attendance at the Cité, rather solid stabilityconsiders Laurence Gasc. However, we are not in a situation of overtourism” . And it is undoubtedly better for the quality of services as well as for the well-being of holidaymakers who, says Magali Bardou, are also increasingly interested in the Bastide. The result, undoubtedly, of the redevelopment of rue du Pont Vieux, but also of the growing number of Airbnb accommodations in the city center.