REBOUND: Tourist attendance across France has increased, all types of accommodation combined, both thanks to foreign customers and that of the French
Tourist attendance rebounded in the second quarter in France, all types of accommodation combined, after a decline early in the year related to the social movement of ” yellow vests “, which had particularly affected the Ile-de-France, according to the INSEE.
From April to June the number of collective tourist accommodation – expressed in nights – increased by 3.5% in the territory, compared to the same period of 2018, according to provisional figures published Thursday.
A sharp decline in the first quarter
This rebound, which comes as much from foreign customers (+ 3.8%) as from that from France (+ 3.3%), follows a sharp decline in the first quarter (-2.6% and even – 4.6% in Ile-de-France), which put an end to more than two years of continuous increase in tourist numbers.
In the hotel industry, overnight stays increased by 2.5% in the second quarter, after a 1.3% decline in the previous quarter, with a marked dynamism in hotels classified 4 or 5 stars (+ 6%), while 1 and 2 star hotels see their attendance drop (-3.4%). The activity of high-end hotels is supported by both the number of visitors to France (+ 2.6%) and foreign tourists (+ 2.2%).
All geographical areas concerned
Attendance increased in all geographical areas: in Ile-de-France (+ 2.3%), in provincial urban areas (+ 3%), ski resorts (+ 2.6%) or on the coastline (+ 2.4%), still in the second quarter.
As for the number of other collective tourist accommodation (tourist residences, holiday villages, family houses, youth hostels), it is also rising again (+ 2.6%), after a sharp decline in the previous quarter (- 4.9%).
Finally, still from April to June, the attendance in campsites increased by 6.3% compared to the same period of 2018, especially thanks to foreign customers (+ 8.1%), notes INSEE. It is more dynamic in campsites located on the coast (+ 7.8%) thanks to “mild weather conditions for this beginning of the season”.
In 2018, France experienced a record of tourist attendance with more than 438 million overnight stays, a figure up 2.4% compared to the previous year.
