Gîtes de France: the label

We’ve all seen this label somewhere. But what does it stand for and what does it represent? We tell you all about the Gîtes de France label, and we’re off!

First of all, Gîtes de France is :

• A label
• A brand
• A network… in France and Europe.

The Fédération nationale des gîtes de France (FNGF) was founded in the Lower Alps in 1955. Its aim? To develop home-based tourist accommodation in France. And why? To combat rural depopulation. The logic here is simple: if you abandon the countryside for the big cities, you run the risk of ruin. But when you live in the city, you want to come back to the country at weekends, so you need to be able to welcome city-dwellers. So we’ve created gîtes to welcome them! How do they work? They are managed on a departmental basis by a national federation. The labels awarded (ecogîtes and gîtes panda) and the classification are given by each department. They have their own classification, and here we’re not talking about stars, butépis (1 to 5).

Gîtes de France has 4 core values:

• Sharing: stays in the best conditions of welcome and comfort
• Authenticity: meeting the needs of tourists in search of authenticity, conviviality and experience.
• Responsibility: promoting heritage and developing “sustainable” tourism
• Commitment: contributing to local employment and the attractiveness of the region

For accommodation, more than 56,000, you’ll find gites and bed & breakfasts. For some time now, you’ve also been able to choose a holiday based ona theme: unusual, prestige, gourmet… You’re sure to find your next vacation destination!

Now that you’re familiar with the Gîtes de France label, why not set off on a micro-adventure? micro-adventure in one of them?