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Report on the conference of 5, 6 and 7 February 2003
Palais des Congrès - La Grande
Motte
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Thursday 6 February, 16.30 to 18.00
National public debate:
"CAMPSITES AND CAMPING CARS: AN UNLIKELY FRIENDSHIP?"
Organised by the magazine L'Officiel des Terrains, chaired by François Perroy. |
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Article by Denis Perrin, chief editor of the OT - Appeared in OT no. 223
Campsites and camping cars: an unlikely friendship? This was the theme of the conference debate organised by the Officiel des Terrains as part of the La Grande-Motte show. Chaired by François Perroy of the agency "Un Air de Vacances", the unlikely meeting took place. For the first time, campsite managers, political representatives and camping car owners were brought together by Denis Perrin, chief editor of the O.T., and spoke to each other.
Certainly, the solutions to problems posed by the accommodation of camping cars (see the report published in the O.T. no.222, pages 128 to 138) have not yet been found, but the components of a constructive dialogue were put on the table.
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A shared 'mea culpa' |
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First of all, everyone made their apologies. "Current regulations give us the means to free up the situation and we are not using them", acknowledged Claude Dumas, in charge of the matter at FNHPA. "The communes also need to make an effort. Prohibition orders aren't an answer," conceded Gilles Panné, director of the Tourist Office representing Sète Town Hall.
Finally, the representative of the federation of camping car associations and clubs for the PACA region, who was in the room, admitted that camping car owners shared the responsibility by stating: "While our members behave properly, we have no control over the rest…".
This having been said, Robert Giner, vice-chairman of the Languedoc-Roussillon Regional HPA Federation expressed the need to, "take the heat out of the debate". Then, Jean-Pierre Duban, assistant chief editor of Camping-car Magazine in charge of receiving camping-cars within the magazine, put the problem in a nutshell: "80% of camping car owners regularly go to campsites. They are not against the idea. What they don't like is being forced to go to campsites".
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A varied, complementary offer |
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The solution would appear to be found in a varied, complementary offer. This was put forward by Christian Clavel, deputy mayor of Aigues-Mortes and himself a camping car owner.
The campsites need to design a way of accommodating camping cars that meets the needs of camping-car owners, similar perhaps to the "quick stops" (equipped areas offering limited parking at an appropriate rate) used in Denmark, which could be used during their periods of opening.
Local communities need to create parking and service areas for the off-season period, though during the season this should not compete unfairly with campsites, either by being too close or by offering rates that were too attractive (low price, and even free use).
Everyone present agreed that there still remained the problem of the irresponsible behaviour of a few camping car owners, "which can only be put right through education" as Charles Améglio, chairman of the FFCC, emphasised. "But if the day comes that we can offer satisfactory accommodation to camping car owners, it will be easier and more justifiable to fight against indiscriminate parking", said Claude Dumas.
The solution therefore needs to come from broad consultation between campsite managers and political representatives.
The Grande-Motte meeting has made a start.
Let's see what happens next.
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Content 2003 |
