The Gironde lives on tourism, and the fires will deal a heavy blow to it economically. Patrick Seguin, president of the Bordeaux-Gironde Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI), explained this Wednesday at BFM Business that the department, badly hit by forest fires, was already seeing the consequences in the arrival of visitors.
An impact on forestry
“What we can say to vacationers is: ‘Don’t cancel your vacations’. There are about 2,500 men mobilized on the spot, we will manage to light the fire,” Patrick Seguin also explained, wanting peace of mind.
The damage is already significant but still difficult to quantify, however, up to several hundred million euros. Patrick Seguin is therefore waiting for the executive’s help to pass the course.
In addition to reservation cancellations, the Gironde already suffers from production losses, as in the field of forestry: wood that has gone up in smoke cannot be exploited as usual.
1,500 million euros thanks to tourists
The only complaint from the CCI representative was this Wednesday to potential tourists, whom he tried to reassure about the situation.
The region earns 1.5 billion euros each year from tourism. This sector alone represents 15% of the Gironde’s income.
Source: BFM TV
