Lt is already time to take stock for the various companies in the Landes department. Particularly those in the catering and hotel sector, while the end-of-year festivities are barely over. The opportunity for the boss of the Union of Trades in the Hotel Industry (Umih) of Landes, Arthur Laborde, to draw the first lessons from this year 2024.
A year that he describes as “satisfactory despite the climatic hazards” which accompanied professionals in this sector. “Some terraces could not be exploited as they could have been. The weather has not always been kind. These are constraints that we cannot control, even if we have the most beautiful store,” continues the Landes boss, elected to head the body a little over a year ago.
Concerning energy and raw material costs, he considers them “similar to previous years”. This year 2024 will have been marked, on the other hand, by a particular political context. “As soon as there are political tensions, everything stops. We felt it clearly in June with the dissolution,” explains Arthur Laborde. Concerning the Olympic page, “the flow was a little restricted but there was a resurgence in consumption immediately,” he analyzes. We had a pretty exceptional month of August. This helped to compensate a little.” It also highlights the great success of the All Saints’ Day holidays. “Certainly the result is -1%, but we were facing an exceptional All Saints’ Day 2023 holiday. So it's satisfying. »
Current files
A few weeks after the national congress, which was held in Lyon at the beginning of December, Arthur Laborde recalls the fundamental issues that professionals in the field want to tackle. Firstly, he mentions “unfair competition from the Airbnb platform”. “It really hurts the hotel industry. It’s very significant and it takes away turnover from our establishments,” he regrets. There is no question of sitting back and waiting. It highlights the actions implemented in the Basque Country or even in Saint-Malo. “It is urgent that our politicians take up this issue,” he points out as one of the priorities.
The other subject that can annoy Landes professionals concerns meal vouchers. “It’s a saving for restaurateurs which goes to supermarkets. It’s important that this comes back for restaurants. Only 40% is consumed in our establishments,” he reveals.
In another issue, that of producers' markets, Arthur Laborde is not as firm as his counterpart from Lot-et-Garonne, Adrien Pedrazzi. He doesn't have these gourmet meetings in his sights. “It attracts people, that’s very good,” he notes, “on the other hand, hygiene checks must be carried out in the same way as in our establishments. »
“Stabilized” recruitment
This had been one of the big difficulties post-Covid: hiring staff. “We have returned this year to something more peaceful,” says the head of Umih 40. If staff had turned away from this sector after the health crisis, some are returning. “This is stabilizing and few establishments have faced difficulties in this area. » A “positive” signal for this sector where employers have had to adapt, in particular with a salary increase and working conditions with more flexibility, for example in terms of working hours. And Arthur Laborde concludes: “It was necessary”.
Arthur Laborde, president of the Union of Trades in the Landes Hotel Industry.
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A night sector in decline
Nightclubs are also part of this Union of hospitality professions. And in the Landes, it is a sector which is far from flourishing. For example, an establishment has closed its doors near Biscarrosse. For the moment, it is a winter break. But this would be in a sales process which has not yet been completed. If this were the case, this emblematic nightclub on the Landes coast would then close permanently. Response within a few weeks. “Covid has done enormous harm to this sector of activity. At the national level, a third of establishments have disappeared,” notes Arthur Laborde.
The president of Umih 40 highlights their usefulness, in particular for managing the flow of customers during the “2 a.m. – 6 a.m.” time slot, when leaving the bars. “Discotheques are necessary and useful,” he continues.
As for the future in the Landes, he salutes the experience and solidity of existing establishments such as “Traouc, Osasuna and even Duplex”. And to conclude: “These are companies managed by real professionals. »
