The 2027 budget proposal released by the French government has sparked a wave of protest among tourism operators, who say the plan threatens a key travel-incentive scheme.
The finance bill, discussed in parliament this week, draws criticism for placing most fiscal burdens on private firms while pensioners face a freeze and nursing homes see tighter funding, a trade press notes.
ANCV cash draw fuels industry anger
Article 50 of the draft budget authorises an “exceptional” withdrawal of €125 million from the cash reserves of the National Agency for Holiday Vouchers (ANCV).
The agency had reported a surplus of €183.8 million at the end of 2025, meaning the proposed extraction would consume roughly two-thirds of its savings.
Tourism lobby leader Mebarek Karar, head of Vacances et Familles, called the move “a disgrace on the 90th anniversary of paid holidays,” adding that the cut targets the most vulnerable.
He warned that stripping the agency will not reduce national debt, noting that other budget lines could provide revenue if political will existed.
Funding for holiday vouchers is split evenly between employers and employees; the state does not contribute to the core incentive that encourages French families to travel.
Since the 1980s, the proportion of French workers taking vacations has stalled, a trend that lags behind neighboring countries and fuels concerns about the sector’s competitiveness.
For a family relying on employer-paid vouchers, a sudden reduction in the agency’s liquidity could translate into fewer discount tickets and tighter travel budgets, potentially curbing domestic tourism demand during the peak summer months.
The same budget also revisits a previous plan to tap surplus revenues from the Air Noise Tax (TNSA), which aimed to collect €110 million after 2025 if balances exceeded €45 million.
Tourism operators say they will organize a coordinated campaign, reaching out to members of parliament and senior officials to oppose both the ANCV drawdown and the noise-tax extraction.
Airline ticket tax and other adjustments
The proposal lowers the solidarity tax on airline tickets (TSBA) from €7.43 to €2.63 on routes that serve public service obligations or are managed under a territorial continuity contract.
Strasbourg-Entzheim airport will be exempt from the TSBA on all intra-EU flights, a concession justified by competition from nearby German airports.
Finally, the bill reduces the tax advantage for owners renting furnished tourist apartments, cutting the allowable amortisation rate to 1.5 % of property value with a €5,000 annual cap, compared with 2.5 % and €7,000 for standard furnished rentals.
The Treasury justifies the ANCV extraction as a way to “reinforce the general budget” amid rising public spending, arguing that the body’s surplus can be safely mobilised without endangering its operational balance.
Tourism sector mobilisation
Local associations that previously opposed the extraction of surplus from the air-noise levy are expected to join the effort. Their experience in organising protests against fiscal measures affecting the aviation sector is being leveraged to amplify the message to parliamentarians.
Revisions to air-ticket levy and rental incentives
The revised levy on airline tickets will apply a lower amount to routes classified under public-service obligations or territorial continuity contracts. The same reduced rate will also be extended to residents from overseas territories traveling to the mainland, aligning their contribution with that of domestic passengers.
Earlier, a proposal to increase the solidarity tax on airline tickets threefold was abandoned after a change in government. The current adjustment therefore represents a significant retreat from that earlier plan, aiming to ease the cost burden on carriers operating essential routes.
Adjustments to amortisation for furnished tourist rentals will limit the deductible portion of property value and lower the annual ceiling. This change is presented as a measure to correct imbalances in the rental market, particularly concerning platforms that list short-term accommodations. By reducing the fiscal advantage, the government hopes to curb the growth of holiday-rental listings that compete with traditional housing.