Gites De France: 60 years of history

60th Anniversary of Gîtes de France

Gites de France was created in the 1950s on the initiative of farmers in the department of the Alps of Haute Provence.  wishing to renovate their buildings to develop tourism and avoid the destruction of the countryside. Noble cause and pioneering, so was born sustainable tourism. Gites de France is now a French and European leader of rural tourist accomodation.

• - 1955: creation of the National Federation of Gîtes De France. Owners wishing to join the network must adhere to its quality charter requiring a personalized welcome and specific standards.
• - 1969: adoption of EPI as a symbolic marker for the labeling of an accommodation with a ranking of 13 epi.
• - 1973: creation of the "guest room" formula: room equipped with individual sanitaries and service of a small hearty lunch, an iconic asset of the formula.
• - 1971: birth of the "table d'hôtes" formula: to offer diners a meal based on local products in a warm atmosphere in the dining room of the owners.
• - 1983: launch of the first national guide Gîtes De France.
• - 1985: the grading grid expands additional criteria corresponding to the new standards of comfort of the domestic life and the demands of tourists.
• - 1989: creation of a 4th "epi".
• - 1993: creation of Eurogîtes.
• - 1998: Internet course: 7000 accommodations are represented.
• - 2001: Chile asks Gîtes De France for advice.
• - 2007: creation of the ecogîte.
• - 2009: a 5th ear is born.
• - 2010: Gîtes De France in China.
• - 2015: Gîtes de France celebrates its 60th anniversary with its 60,000 homes and 47,000 owners.

Joining Gites de France is to want to develop a tourism that makes sense, is to love to discover a region and a land, is to exchange with his guests around a certain lifestyle.
 

Conviviality, simplicity, encounter and authenticity are the key words of this process of joining the Gîtes de France network.