As France reopens its borders and non-essential travel is once again allowed, the country's famous coastal resorts are hoping for a bumper summer season.

Regional airports are reopening and high-speed trains are restarting full services. These transport links are likely to carry more French tourists this year than international ones, as many Europeans will spend their holidays within the borders of their countries on so-called "staycations," because of the pandemic.

The French coastline draws millions of tourists each year, and it's one of the most visited parts of one of the most visited countries in the world. But summer 2020 is set to be like no other, with April and May revenues all but wiped out and barely any travel in June due to COVID-19 restrictions.

Hotels and guesthouses in France suffered a 90 percent drop in reservations between mid-March and mid-May. Guesthouse owner Anne Hugues says that since the start of the year, her sales revenues have been close to zero. "We couldn't rent rooms as normal because of the lockdown," she explains. 

"On 2 June, lockdown eased, so in theory we could have guests, but people couldn't go further than 100 kilometers from their homes, which complicated things for us."

Martine and Daniel are the first guests that Anne has had all year. "Lockdown was a bit frustrating because we couldn't go out, we couldn't do anything we wanted. So now it's a chance to enjoy freedom at last," they say.

Despite the return of the much-needed tourists, the effects of the COVID-19 crisis is posing a huge challenge for one of France's vital industries.

"French tourists won't be enough to compensate for losses incurred by the crisis," says Michel Laur, the regional director for the national organization of guesthouses in France, Gites de France.

"We need the foreign visitors because they come before and after the high season and they stay for two or three weeks, while French customers only come for a few days or a long weekend."

Of all the overnight stays in France on any given year, 40 percent take place on the country's beautiful coasts.

The beaches, resorts, and picturesque fishing villages are a crucial part of France's tourism industry and they face a unique and challenging summer season as traditional businesses are having to adapt to the new challenges this year brought about by the pandemic.