2023-08-25 15:53:05
The countdown has begun. In a month, Pope Francis will tread the soil of the second city of France, for a two-day visit that could not be more Marseilles between climbing to the Good Mother and mass at the Vélodrome. A real event when we know that no pope has visited the second city of France for nearly 500 years, and that this visit of the pope to France constitutes a first since that of his predecessor Benedict XVI in 2008. In Marseille on September 23 and 24, Francis will conclude the Mediterranean Meetings which will welcome about sixty representatives of Churches from the five shores of the Mediterranean as well as about sixty young people from these same countries.
For the occasion, up to 300,000 people are expected. People who will seek accommodation in the second city of France. During a press conference on this visit, Cardinal Jean-Marc Aveline, Archbishop of Marseille announced the deployment of two ferries transformed into floating hotels to try to cope with this flow. Because a month before the fateful date, the craze is already there among Marseille hoteliers. “There is a Pope effect which is there on our reservations, rejoices Nicolas Guyot, vice-president of the union of trades and the hotel industry (Umih) of Bouches-du-Rhône, himself same owner of a hotel on the Old Port. There were reservations as soon as this event was announced. »
Soaring prices
“For the moment, the projections show a provisional reservation rate which is already around 40% in the hotels of the city, nuance Laurent Lhardit, deputy mayor in charge of the economy and tourism. It may not seem very high, but we explain it by the fact that on this event, there is also a network of practitioners who host others, or practitioners who solicit the family. “The announcement of the pope’s arrival was quite sudden, and remains quite uncertain, explains Nicolas Guyot. Everyone knows that a poor state of health of the pope would lead to cancellation. “A lot of people will make their decisions at the last minute,” says Laurent Lhardit. They will book according to the weather, the moment. »
As a result of this expected enthusiasm, which could therefore gain in power: the prices posted by hoteliers are skyrocketing for the arrival of Pope Francis. Just take a look at the famous hotel reservation platforms to see that finding a room for less than 100 euros on the eve of the mass given by the Pope is mission impossible in Marseille. “It’s the capitalist principle of supply and demand, but I don’t understand these practices, regrets Laurent Lhardit. I consider that hoteliers must be careful. They create an experience in Marseille. If for a hotel that usually displays the night at 100 €, you pay 150 euros, you wait for the service to evolve. I address a message of attention to the price policy, even if one can consider that there is a windfall effect. »
“For the customers who come to see the pope, we will adapt our services and our schedules, to keep the luggage for example, justifies Nicolas Guyot. We will overstaff the staff. And that’s why we’re raising prices. The Umih has no regulatory power on the issue but we remain very vigilant. We must not increase by telling ourselves that we will make our own money with the Pope. Afterwards, with the riots in July and the heat wave in August, we had a very bad season. We won’t make up for the summer but we compensate. “Compensation which will also certainly occur thanks to another major event: the Rugby World Cup, which falls at the same time. According to our information, the fill rates are very good depending on the meetings. The record is held by match between England and Argentina on September 9, with an occupancy rate of 88%.
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