This morning, while opening a Carambar, I read inside this joke that didn’t really make my daughter laugh.
“What is the ultimate irony for the world’s number one tourist destination? That all its inhabitants do not go on vacation!” I admit, it wasn’t the funniest, but surely the most realistic.
France welcomes nearly 100 million tourists each year.
A figure proclaimed and proudly announced by Serge Papin, the minister in charge of Tourism, which is expected to rise again this year, as bookings in accommodation are up 1% to 5%, while those in air travel rise by 3%.
Such figures bring a smile to many sector players, starting with Mark Watkins, the founder of Coach Omnium, who notes “there is no way to distinguish and quantify the foreign visitors who come to metropolitan France.”
But meanwhile, there is one statistic that all governments keep and that seems fairly reliable, namely the rate of French people not taking holidays.
For several decades, four in ten French people do not go on vacation. And that has stagnated.
Thus, in the world’s most visited country, the right to holidays remains “an unfinished right“, according to Jean Pinard, who, in a study published by the Terram Institute, warns policymakers about the inequalities in our country and argues that the time has come to redistribute the gains of the tourism economy in favor of those who make it: the French.
“What is the ultimate irony for the world’s number one tourist destination? That all its inhabitants do not go on vacation!” I admit, it wasn’t the funniest, but surely the most realistic.
France welcomes nearly 100 million tourists each year.
A figure proclaimed and proudly announced by Serge Papin, the minister in charge of Tourism, which is expected to rise again this year, as bookings in accommodation are up 1% to 5%, while those in air travel rise by 3%.
Such figures bring a smile to many sector players, starting with Mark Watkins, the founder of Coach Omnium, who notes “there is no way to distinguish and quantify the foreign visitors who come to metropolitan France.”
But meanwhile, there is one statistic that all governments keep and that seems fairly reliable, namely the rate of French people not taking holidays.
For several decades, four in ten French people do not go on vacation. And that has stagnated.
Thus, in the world’s most visited country, the right to holidays remains “an unfinished right“, according to Jean Pinard, who, in a study published by the Terram Institute, warns policymakers about the inequalities in our country and argues that the time has come to redistribute the gains of the tourism economy in favor of those who make it: the French.
Holidays: social gains upended!
For reference, if 60% of French people go on vacation, 87% of Brits do, 80% of Germans, 75% of Dutch and 64% of Poles.
La France se situe tout juste dans la moyenne européenne.
A troubling fact for the country that enshrined paid holidays as a social gain, which proudly marked in 2026 the 90th anniversary of their creation, which enjoys five weeks of vacation every year and which also reduced the working week to 35 hours.
To read: Paid holidays: 90 years of a social revolution… and a still-open agenda
Despite these social advances, currently questioned by a broad swath of the political spectrum, “the gap between the strength of the tourism apparatus and the population’s actual access to holidays is the subject of this study“, explains Jean Pinard in the preface to his study.
Remember that last June, a bill was filed by deputy Éric Pauget, from the Republican Right, aiming to monetize one week of paid leave per year, to give meaning back to the slogan “work more to earn more”.
The fifth week was introduced just one year after the first Back to the Future script was completed. That’s where we are. Our politicians are forcing the nation to ride a time machine back in time.
We are far from discussions on a four-day week, reflections on leisure time, and a society of recreation.
It is not so surprising, because at a conference during the Aix-en-Provence Economic Meetings, Jean Viard was very pessimistic about the notion of progress, whether technological or social.
And faced with societies that seem lost and often look backward, reminiscent of this right-wing deputy seeking to recall a supposedly happier past, the far-right is on the verge of taking power in many parts of the world.
“We must rekindle the desire for the future, recount the three anthropological ruptures: nature taking power, patriarchy exploding, and AI jolting us.
Above all, based on this observation, the politicians must say they will build a better world, that future generations will live better than ours.
To restore confidence among the working classes, we must redraw the idea that the horizon will be brighter“, proclaimed Jean Viard.
La France se situe tout juste dans la moyenne européenne.
A troubling fact for the country that enshrined paid holidays as a social gain, which proudly marked in 2026 the 90th anniversary of their creation, which enjoys five weeks of vacation every year and which also reduced the working week to 35 hours.
To read: Paid holidays: 90 years of a social revolution… and a still-open agenda
Despite these social advances, currently questioned by a broad swath of the political spectrum, “the gap between the strength of the tourism apparatus and the population’s actual access to holidays is the subject of this study“, explains Jean Pinard in the preface to his study.
Remember that last June, a bill was filed by deputy Éric Pauget, from the Republican Right, aiming to monetize one week of paid leave per year, to give meaning back to the slogan “work more to earn more”.
The fifth week was introduced just one year after the first Back to the Future script was completed. That’s where we are. Our politicians are forcing the nation to ride a time machine back in time.
We are far from discussions on a four-day week, reflections on leisure time, and a society of recreation.
It is not so surprising, because at a conference during the Aix-en-Provence Economic Meetings, Jean Viard was very pessimistic about the notion of progress, whether technological or social.
And faced with societies that seem lost and often look backward, reminiscent of this right-wing deputy seeking to recall a supposedly happier past, the far-right is on the verge of taking power in many parts of the world.
“We must rekindle the desire for the future, recount the three anthropological ruptures: nature taking power, patriarchy exploding, and AI jolting us.
Above all, based on this observation, the politicians must say they will build a better world, that future generations will live better than ours.
To restore confidence among the working classes, we must redraw the idea that the horizon will be brighter“, proclaimed Jean Viard.
The tourism development is being left to private actors by the State
And to make the future desirable, just months before a high-stakes presidential election, the former director of the CRT Occitanie wants to bring the debate about the right to holidays back to the foreground.
It is now up to policymakers to seize upon this study and to put forward proposals.
It should be noted that, among the French who travel every year, only a fraction stays in hotels, camping sites, resort residences or holiday villages. The use of commercial accommodations is well below 50%, according to the study.
And that is unlikely to improve.
Because if, in the 1950s, the State actively led the creation of ski resorts and coast development to structure the offer, that momentum ended in the 1970s, after President Valéry Giscard d’Estaing’s Vallouise speech.
Over time, this mission was abandoned to private actors, the social dimension gradually fading away.
Additionally, the companies that now shape the French tourist landscape have pursued an upmarket strategy aimed at attracting lucrative foreign clientele, effectively excluding more and more French families.
The text also recalls that the Constitution of October 27, 1946 guarantees everyone “rest and leisure“, and that the law of July 29, 1998 elevates “equal access for all, throughout life, to culture, to sport, to vacations and to leisure” into “a national objective“.
However, since then, almost nothing has been done.
Because the tools that enable the greatest number to travel do not weigh on public finances. They are mainly carried by companies, via the social and economic committees (CSE).
And if nothing changes, then this departure rate will, at best, plateau, or even decline, while we could turn domestic tourism into a real growth lever for the industry.
There is more room for maneuver with the French than with foreign clientele.
Going on vacation is a collective desire and a social marker; moreover, the growth of the global middle class is indeed fueling the flow of tourists worldwide.
It is now up to policymakers to seize upon this study and to put forward proposals.
It should be noted that, among the French who travel every year, only a fraction stays in hotels, camping sites, resort residences or holiday villages. The use of commercial accommodations is well below 50%, according to the study.
And that is unlikely to improve.
Because if, in the 1950s, the State actively led the creation of ski resorts and coast development to structure the offer, that momentum ended in the 1970s, after President Valéry Giscard d’Estaing’s Vallouise speech.
Over time, this mission was abandoned to private actors, the social dimension gradually fading away.
Additionally, the companies that now shape the French tourist landscape have pursued an upmarket strategy aimed at attracting lucrative foreign clientele, effectively excluding more and more French families.
The text also recalls that the Constitution of October 27, 1946 guarantees everyone “rest and leisure“, and that the law of July 29, 1998 elevates “equal access for all, throughout life, to culture, to sport, to vacations and to leisure” into “a national objective“.
However, since then, almost nothing has been done.
Because the tools that enable the greatest number to travel do not weigh on public finances. They are mainly carried by companies, via the social and economic committees (CSE).
And if nothing changes, then this departure rate will, at best, plateau, or even decline, while we could turn domestic tourism into a real growth lever for the industry.
There is more room for maneuver with the French than with foreign clientele.
Going on vacation is a collective desire and a social marker; moreover, the growth of the global middle class is indeed fueling the flow of tourists worldwide.
Vacation departure policies are powered… by companies!
Those who do not go will not have their children go. For holidays and travel are also social learning.
To reduce this fracture between two Frances, there are holiday departure aids.
First, the best known: holiday vouchers. Only 26% of French people report ever having used them. A relatively low rate, explained by a lack of awareness of the programs among the target audiences.
An instrument funded by both employees and companies, the latter benefiting from employer social exemptions.
The net issuance volume sits at around €1.8 billion.
It is difficult to gauge the CSE’s concrete action on this subject, because the study notes that in 2010, CSE expenses for social and cultural activities amounted to €2.6 billion, of which €728 million were for vacation assistance.
According to the CSE Guide site, the ASC budget, for Social and Cultural Activities, of these bodies is estimated at €5 billion per year.
“Holiday assistance, in the world’s most tourist country, mainly relies on corporate social policies, operating within a legal framework created by the State with works councils and then the ANCV, and these policies provide the State with tax revenues estimated at €3 billion“, says Jean Pinard in the study.
Note, however, that the State contributes a little over €180 million in various aid types, AVF, AVS, AVE…, a mere fragment compared with private actions.
Added to this is the rise of digital leisure, which continues to seize the free time of younger generations and also represents a substantial portion of their spending.
The finding is clear and quite precise. If the public sector was the origin of the development of the tourism industry, it has gradually abandoned its role to leave private actors to handle it.
Some will say that, in a market economy, this choice is not irrational.
Others will say that, to build a nation, we must not leave anyone by the roadside in July and August, under penalty of letting political parties rather incongruent with democracy gain ground.
To reduce this fracture between two Frances, there are holiday departure aids.
First, the best known: holiday vouchers. Only 26% of French people report ever having used them. A relatively low rate, explained by a lack of awareness of the programs among the target audiences.
An instrument funded by both employees and companies, the latter benefiting from employer social exemptions.
The net issuance volume sits at around €1.8 billion.
It is difficult to gauge the CSE’s concrete action on this subject, because the study notes that in 2010, CSE expenses for social and cultural activities amounted to €2.6 billion, of which €728 million were for vacation assistance.
According to the CSE Guide site, the ASC budget, for Social and Cultural Activities, of these bodies is estimated at €5 billion per year.
“Holiday assistance, in the world’s most tourist country, mainly relies on corporate social policies, operating within a legal framework created by the State with works councils and then the ANCV, and these policies provide the State with tax revenues estimated at €3 billion“, says Jean Pinard in the study.
Note, however, that the State contributes a little over €180 million in various aid types, AVF, AVS, AVE…, a mere fragment compared with private actions.
Added to this is the rise of digital leisure, which continues to seize the free time of younger generations and also represents a substantial portion of their spending.
The finding is clear and quite precise. If the public sector was the origin of the development of the tourism industry, it has gradually abandoned its role to leave private actors to handle it.
Some will say that, in a market economy, this choice is not irrational.
Others will say that, to build a nation, we must not leave anyone by the roadside in July and August, under penalty of letting political parties rather incongruent with democracy gain ground.
Proposals to Put Leisure Time Back on the Public Policy Agenda!
Jean Pinard calls for a political awakening and wishes to “put leisure time back on the public policy agenda“.
The author of the document, a former professional in various tourism bodies, thus lays out several proposals to close the gap and get as many French people as possible on vacation.
Proposals that would be painless for public finances.
The first is to set up a knowledge apparatus on the health and social cohesion benefits of vacations, and also to measure precisely and regularly the under-use of aid and non-departures.
To address the issue of lack of awareness of the departure-support schemes, he proposes relying on local networks constituted by family allowance funds and municipal social action centers, while simplifying the procedures.
And why not create counters directly in tourist offices? This would also help acculturate certain publics to travel.
In addition, he proposes supporting investment in social and solidarity-based tourism, to maintain an offering accessible to all.
Finally, these measures would be funded by a national departure-support fund, itself financed by a dedicated tourist tax, by contributions from highway concessionaires or by redistributing the VAT paid by foreign customers.
This latter approach already exists in Spain and Portugal.
This contribution from highway concessionaires has already been highlighted by the government to finance the framework law on transport development.
Let us recall that these companies will have accumulated, by 2036, around €76 billion in dividends, nearly five times the proceeds from the 2006 sale of the highways.
If, in 2024, the net income of motorway concession companies (SCA) fell by 3.4%, to €4.3 billion, dividends rose by 9%, to €4.4 billion, according to the Transport Regulatory Authority.
Over to you with your proposals !
The author of the document, a former professional in various tourism bodies, thus lays out several proposals to close the gap and get as many French people as possible on vacation.
Proposals that would be painless for public finances.
The first is to set up a knowledge apparatus on the health and social cohesion benefits of vacations, and also to measure precisely and regularly the under-use of aid and non-departures.
To address the issue of lack of awareness of the departure-support schemes, he proposes relying on local networks constituted by family allowance funds and municipal social action centers, while simplifying the procedures.
And why not create counters directly in tourist offices? This would also help acculturate certain publics to travel.
In addition, he proposes supporting investment in social and solidarity-based tourism, to maintain an offering accessible to all.
Finally, these measures would be funded by a national departure-support fund, itself financed by a dedicated tourist tax, by contributions from highway concessionaires or by redistributing the VAT paid by foreign customers.
This latter approach already exists in Spain and Portugal.
This contribution from highway concessionaires has already been highlighted by the government to finance the framework law on transport development.
Let us recall that these companies will have accumulated, by 2036, around €76 billion in dividends, nearly five times the proceeds from the 2006 sale of the highways.
If, in 2024, the net income of motorway concession companies (SCA) fell by 3.4%, to €4.3 billion, dividends rose by 9%, to €4.4 billion, according to the Transport Regulatory Authority.
Over to you with your proposals !
Published by Céline Eymery 
