traders and hoteliers dismayed by the cancellation of the Angoulême Comic Strip Festival

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It will definitely remain empty at the end of next January. The Champ de Mars square in Angouleme (Charente), 4,000 square meters accommodate the largest comic book publishing houses. On the streets of the city center, people encountered only one word on their lips: disappointment. “It’s catastrophic for the city of Angoulême”deplores a local resident. “It’s a bit of a shame because it was still an influx of tourists, it was good for the traders who were around”believes a young man.

In a 4-star hotel, the comic strip festival represents 445 nights booked over five days: “The losses for an establishment like ours amount to approximately several hundred thousand euros which are lost for this festival. Since we are systematically full from one year to the next with the same customers”explains Karine Renay, director of the Mercure Angoulême Hotel.

The hotel and restaurant industry is expecting an economic catastrophe. But all commerce will be affected, as in a large bookstore which expects a shortfall of 230,000 euros, and is banking on alternative initiatives: “We are going to have a dream cast, I promise you, to receive during these three days, not four, but from Friday to Sunday, full of authors”promises Pascal Dulondel, from the independent bookstore Cosmopolite.

Each year, the FIBD attracts nearly 200,000 visitors. According to the Chamber of Commerce, the economic benefits for the department amount to 3.5 million euros.