Real estate : open a successful gîte de France

Published on : 21 October 20213 min reading time
To open a successful gîte de France, the location of the property should be well studied. The gîte benefits from being close to major tourist attractions: museums, hiking sites, beach entertainment… Some departments attract visitors more than others. Try to obtain the “meublé de tourisme” accommodation class.

Choose a very well located lodging that facilitates the movement of tourists

A favorable location is the secret to attracting a spectacular influx of tourists. Therefore, the atmosphere of the area should be taken into consideration: sunshine, rainfall, cultural events… In general, tourists have a weakness for quiet and charming places, nestled in the shelter of a lush garden. You should write down the places of interest in the village. The closer the B&B is to the tourist hustle and bustle, the better it will be rated by customers. Therefore, a spatial analysis is necessary to evaluate the precise distance to go to the beach, to organize a green outing or to visit museums or historical sites. Nevertheless, the tourist attraction has to be balanced with the social environment of the area.  For example, tourists need a supermarket or a pharmacy store that is easy to reach. The same goes for bus lines or train stations, which assist in getting around the village.

Departments with high tourist potential

Although bed and breakfasts are scattered throughout France, a handful of localities account for a significant fraction of tourist revenues. The Bouches-du-Rhône, the Hautes-Alpes, the Languedoc-Roussillon, the Alpes de Haute-Provence are the most attractive departments, due to the quality of their ecological and natural heritage. In fact, more than a third of French tourists take their vacations by the sea, which explains the high number of visitors to the Cote d’Azur coastline. If you are a happy owner of a rural gite in Provence, renting out rooms to holidaymakers is a flourishing source of income. Beautiful natural landscapes and an infinite number of activities under a tender sun are to be discovered on the isle of Ré.

A rural lodging that receives the “meublé de tourisme” distinction

Make every effort to obtain the status of “meublé de tourisme”. Compared to the classic rural lodging, the rural lodging with the tourist label enjoys several fiscal gifts: the exemption of the housing tax, the exemption of the tax on the built properties, the abatement of 71% applied on the rental incomes withdrawn from the building. However, to qualify for these tax exemption opportunities, a significant investment volume is required because the building must meet the quality standards applicable to leisure accommodation.

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