WORLD> Europe
Low on money, French cut costs on holidays
(China Daily)
Updated: 2009-05-13 09:38

PARIS: The global downturn is forcing French families to scrap their summer holidays and those who will be frolicking on the beach plan to watch every euro they spend, a survey said Tuesday.

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About 62 percent of the French told the OpinionWay polling firm they were going on vacation this summer, down from 73 percent last year.

An additional 21 percent of those surveyed said they didn't know yet whether they would be able to take a holiday, compared to 14 percent who were in the same situation last year.

A whopping 77 percent said their holiday budget was smaller than last year's, with one in four planning to spend fewer than 250 euros (about $341.20) per person during the trip.

French workers enjoy generous holiday entitlements that allow them to take a full month off on average during the summer. Most of France slows down in August, with many shops and businesses shutting down for several weeks.

As a cost-cutting measure, 38 percent of the French said they plan to stay with family or friends, up from 28 percent who took up that option last year.

Another 23 percent of respondents said they will shorten their vacation and 75 percent acknowledged that they were scrolling the Internet in search of cheap deals. The survey was carried out from April 9 to 17 with a sampling of 1,082 people.

AFP