French Tourism Code

A holiday village is any accommodation centre, whether or not commercially run as a whole, intended to provide holiday accommodation at an all-inclusive price including, in addition to board and lodging, the use of shared facilities, sports installations and community entertainment. Only those that meet the conditions listed in articles D. 325-2 et seq. may be designated as holiday villages. Non-profit-making establishments of a specifically social nature, having the character…

Holiday villages comprise : – individual or collective accommodation and premises used for management and services ; – shared facilities for sporting activities and community entertainment; – for meals, one of the following two options: restaurant or individual kitchen per gîte with or without ready-made meals.

Accommodation, the restaurant and the distribution of ready-made meals may only be used in connection with the village’s activities. Apart from holiday stays, holiday villages run by non-profit organisations may only be used for activities that correspond to the purpose of the articles of association of these groups.

All the components of a holiday village are grouped together on the same plot of land and include buildings constructed using traditional materials on foundations, subject to the provisions of articles D. 325-3-2, D. 325-3-3 and D. 325-3-4.

A holiday village may include accommodation made up in whole or in part of dwellings spread over the territory of the commune where the reception office and the collective buildings are located, or over the territory of contiguous communes. In this case, it is known as a “holiday village” and is labelled “dispersed accommodation”. This wording must be specified on all signs and information or advertising documents relating to the…

A holiday village may include all or part of unfounded, demountable, transportable or towable accommodation. These premises must be installed by the operator on fixed sites throughout the annual opening period of the holiday village. In this case, the village is referred to as a “holiday village” with the words “light accommodation”. This reference must be specified on all signs and information or advertising documents concerning this holiday village.

Community facilities belonging to a municipality or to third parties and located outside the area where the holiday village is set up may be taken into account for classification if an agreement concluded between this municipality or these third parties and the operator stipulates, for a minimum period of ten years, free access for users of the holiday village as part of the fixed price for the stay.