Before moving to France I thought that ‘the Cure’ was an 80s pop group but, this being a land of hypochondriacs (and I say that in a fond way) it turns out that ‘the cure’ is actually something you can get on prescription here. I first heard about it when visiting the lovely thermal spa town and ski resort of Bagnères de Luchon; it was April and I was amazed by how busy it was and commented on this to a local restaurant owner. He told me most of the visitors were there to take ‘the cure’.
Here in France, the doctor can prescribe ‘the cure’ for all sorts of illnesses and ailments ranging from arthritis to asthma to diabetes and poor circulation to name just a few. The cure actually involves a trip to a thermal baths/spa to drink the water, soak in the water and get various treatments involving minerals and thermal mud and this treatment can take anything from a few days to a few weeks. What’s more, France having some of the best health care in the world, the majority of the cost of these treatments is covered by the French equivalent of the NHS with the rest usually being paid for by the patient’s top up health insurance known as a mutuelle. Costs covered include the cost of the treatment, the costs of accommodation in the resort while having the cure and the costs of travelling there and back again.
What does this all have to do with the property market? Well quite a lot actually because it explains the year round popularity of thermal towns in France and hence the year-round, high demand for rental properties. So, for example, in Bagnères de Luchon, the ‘Cure’ tourists tend to come in low-season which is spring and autumn while the winter season is booked out by skiers and the summer by walkers, cyclists and summer holidaymakers. So although ‘the cure’ might seem like another generous hand out by the French state, it also has a huge number of knock on benefits in numerous towns around the country and ultimately ensures both a thriving year-round holiday market and a thriving property and rentals market.
Which just shows that it pays to take care of your health as any French person would tell you.
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