Abuses of certain beach establishments in Pampelonne: how to regulate the operators?

A jewel of the bay, one that locals must share, not without difficulty. Clusters of tourists return to Pampelonne with the start of summer. So in the village, the subject is back on the table in the municipal council chamber. At the last meeting, elected officials were invited to take note of the beach's operating report for the 2023 season. This 369-page document details—in depth—the financial statements of the concession holder and the establishments, the quality of services (safety, sanitation, access conditions, public information), and the developments carried out to enhance and preserve the site.

To understand the economic significance of this area, here are some figures. In 2023, the city spent more than €7 million on investment and operations, and collected more than €8 million. This represents a positive result of nearly €882,000.

Between promises and actions

First Deputy Mayor Patrick Rinaudo was responsible for summarizing the components of this report. " You have a summary of the comments from operators and customers. Among the recurring themes are the lack of parking spaces and the mention of prices. Above all, what keeps coming up is the lack of mattresses available for rental," the elected official said.

At the end of this presentation, minority councilor Bruno Goethals followed up on this point by questioning the municipality. He highlighted the discrepancy between the operators' promises when signing the contract and the reality of the situation. He focused on two points: the rates that some establishments exceeded those announced and the opening hours, which were sometimes significantly reduced: " Is there a way to make them respect their commitments?"

The mayor begins by indicating the establishment of a monitoring service for operators but concedes: " It's true that there are sometimes differences. But things can change." "But when we're at more than 20, 40, 60% of the price of the average advertised dish, these are not small differences. Moreover, it's repeated year after year," points out his opponent.

"Minimum spending", a selective drift

In terms of means of action, the chief magistrate explains that it is always possible to go and check the menus and services of the establishments: " Even if there are establishments with very high prices, there are also low prices. But will the customers go there?" Roland Bruno grabs his glass in front of him to give an example: " If a person enters an establishment and asks for a glass of water, it should be free, it should be well received but I don't know if that's the case. We could send people to check..."

In response to this parable, opposition councilor Patrick Gasparini points to a more significant deviation revealed in our columns in 2023: " If the free glass of water is a myth, what is a reality is " minimum spending ." Today, if you don't bring money to the beach concessionaires, you won't be accepted. We all know that. There are even places where you pay for the table before arriving, otherwise you won't get one. That's something you should study much more closely. Everything is overflowing because there are no controls at that level."

Resume contracts

The mayor responds that this first involves studying the methods used by professionals.

" We've noticed a scarcity effect that's been occurring since 2019. There's not enough supply and too much demand. In this case, the market always reacts the same way: there's an increase in prices. Many beach operators spend their days turning away customers. Since these are public contracts, there's always a way to take them back," explains his chief of staff, Guy Martin.

The director, however, warns of the risk of litigation with the signatory in this very tense economic environment. " The customer must be able to choose affordable mattresses or meals and they will be able to find them. This is the approach we are taking with the tourist office, which will provide good addresses and tips for accessing a cheaper beach," he continues .