Gîtes de France: the label

We’ve all seen this label somewhere. But what does it mean and what does it represent? We tell you all you need to know about the Gîtes de France label!

1. What is Gîtes de France?

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 the weekend, so you have to be able to welcome city-dwellers. So we created gites 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: here we don’t talk about stars, butears (1 to 5).

2. Values and accommodation

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

Concerning
accommodation,
more than 56,000, you’ll find gites and B&Bs. For some time now, you’ve also been able to choose atheme for your trip: unusual, prestige, gourmet… You’re sure to find your next vacation destination!