The French Gite Market: Your Guide to Advertising Gites in France

Is the French gite a saturated market? The short answer is no. The market for self-catering holidays in France is not saturated – but to succeed in the present climate, gite owners need to be astute and pro-active.

The concern behind this question is easy to understand. In the last few years, many people have been so drawn by the charms of France that they have either bought a second home across the channel or moved there permanently.

Some have embarked on letting holiday gites for pin money but, increasingly, the gite business is just that – a true business venture that is taken seriously by its proprietors.

Yet that same charm and accessibility also continues to lure holidaymakers to France - and they need not only come from Britain. With the internet firmly established as the primary marketing tool for self-catering gites, there is more potential to attract tourists from other countries, including France itself. At French Connections, we made the French language version of our website because we recognise that French people prefer to holiday in their own country and are not affected by exchange rates. This makes them a very worthwhile market to target for gite rentals.

The Enduring Appeal of French Gites

France’s excellent road and rail network, the spread of low cost flights, the current euro-dollar exchange rate – all make France potentially appealing to markets both inside and outside the euro zone.

But the appeal is more than practical. In an age of greater environmental awareness and increasing globalisation, gite owners can see it as an opportunity to be in traditional rural landscapes where visitors are able to feel a sense of community, immerse themselves in the culture and get involved in a wide range of activities, festivals and events. Self-catering gite holidays, with a sense of freedom and flexibility of budget, remains as popular as ever.

The gite has always been a constantly changing commodity. Properties change hands, new ideas are introduced, fresh opportunities arise and both gite owners and holidaymakers will continue to shift their priorities in response. It pays to keep your finger on the pulse.