This island is an undiscovered pearl of the Mediterranean. “This is not a place for all inclusive”

Corsica is not one of the most frequently chosen places for holidays among Poles. However, this fourth largest Mediterranean Island has tourists to offer something that they will not find in Majorca or Crete. There is no all inclusive here and large hotel chains, and small guesthouses run by residents. However, higher prices can be a barrier, as well as a quite limited flight offer.

– It is very difficult to attract new carriers, because our strategy does not assume mass tourism. We would like the airlines to fly when we want and when we need them. This is not beneficial for the sustainable development of the island, so that the most flights take place in July and August, and this is what the lines want – explains Céline Casanova from the Corsica Tourism Council in an interview with “Wprost”.

Last minute reservations are a problem

“We are heading towards the disaster,” wrote the French weekly Le Point in August last year, commenting on the falling number of tourists in Corsica faster. At that time, the island’s inhabitants were to complain of voids in restaurants and hotels at the peak of the season, which looked as if it had not yet begun. The reason for the decline in attendance was considered to be rising air transport prices from continental France, because it is the French who constitute as much as 70 percent of the total number of visitors.

According to Céline Casanova from the Tourism Council of Corsica in the conversation “Wprost”, the situation was not and is not so critical. – We observe a positive phrase in the number of visitors. Last summer was not so bad either. I think we are not dealing with a crisis. Our main problem is simply last minute reservations – therefore especially in April, May and June it may seem that there will be few tourists, but ultimately they always come. The specificity of France involves very high competition. Everyone is fighting for a client and a large promotion is needed to attract him to each other – explains the expert.

Corsica wants to attract specific tourists

Corsica wants tourists, but on their own terms. The biggest challenge is to attract guests in spring and autumn. – We already have visitors in the summer, and we would like to have more of them in April, May, June, September and October. This is very important for our strategy in which we want to show our hospitality to guests. In August, during the top of the season, there is not enough space. In the summer, our hotels are usually full, so the reconciliation of an additional number of guests can be complicated – says Céline Casanova. He adds that Corsica is completely different from the other Mediterranean.

Our hotels are small, some of them have only ten or twenty rooms and are not the cheapest. We know that there are islands in the Mediterranean, which compete with each other to attract tourists with low prices, but we want to offer something else. Corsica is the most green island in this region. The tourism we propose must be balanced.

In addition to the French, the island is also visited by other Europeans. – Our most important market is Germany – we have many tourists who want to visit Corsica in the periods indicated. The other strategic markets are, for example, Switzerland and Austria – reveals Casanova, which is responsible for the promotion of Corsica on international markets. – Poland also has potential. One of our partners are the Czech Republic and the results of our cooperation are very well. Maybe soon it Poland will become the next goal of the promotion, but at the moment we do not have the right budget to carry out such a project at the appropriate level – he adds.

According to the latest data, only 53 percent of tourists travel on Corsica by plane. Others still use ferry connections. This is not surprising, because compared to other large Mediterranean islands, Corsica seems to be cut off from connections, especially those offered by cheap carriers. As many as 51 percent of flights are operated by the Air Corsica airline, and only 13 percent by Easy Jet. There is neither Ryanair or Wizz Air.

Not for all inclusive tourism

Corsica is not a direction for all inclusive tourism lovers. – We want customers who come to us to support local economics and contribute to the growth of the economy. It is important that they have a variety of experiences and, apart from sunbathing, they also have a different way. Corsica is such a minicontinent. Hotels are not part of large groups, they are run by Corsican families – emphasizes Céline Casanova.

Ilona Perrot from the Atout France organization also has her opinion on tourism in Corsica. – Corsica is not a place on all inclusive. We do not have large hotel chains here where you can spend a week without leaving the pool. It has never been a strategy for Corsica. Going to our island and visiting only one beach is a waste of time – he believes.

Currently, 163,000 thousand beds are available in Corsica, and only 11 percent of them are facilities with four or five stars. Hotels are only 18 percent of the total number of beds, and as much as 70 percent in total belong to campsites and local RTVV – recreational tourist residences and holiday villages.

Island for the active

Even those who eventually decide to visit Corsica in full summer will not be disappointed.

– If you think about any island in the Mediterranean, it will be very dry and hot in the summer. Corsica is different thanks to its greenery. In addition to being on the beach, you can grow outdoors, which is often not possible for other places in the region, where you can’t go on a hiking or ride a bicycle because it’s too hot. Corsica is full of rivers, lakes and canyons, and three hundred sunny days a year makes it a great place for any activity – says the representative of Atout France.

It is not surprising that not one of the local beaches is considered to be the biggest attraction of Corsica, but the legendary Corsican 180-kilometer grip trail 20. The route running along the island considered the most difficult in Europe, a dozen or so years ago was known only a few. Today, together with the newly emerging bicycle routes, he invites lovers of real adventure, not aging.