After a record year for Breton tourism in 2015, the number of visitors to this French region declined last year. According to the Regional Tourism Committee, the decrease was caused by the school calendar conflicts, poor weather, terrorist attacks and protest demonstrations.
Jessica Viscart of the “Observation and Planning” division of the Regional Breton Tourism Committee was a guest on the television station “France Bleu” for the Armorique area.
With 96 641 000 nights spent in 2016, the visitation numbers for the Breton region were in decline by 2.7% relative to 2015's numbers. This negative trend was felt throughout the 4 Breton departments: -2.2% in Ille-et-Vilaine, -2.7% in Morbihan, -3.1% in Côtes d'Armor and -2.7% in the Finistère area.
The number of visitors dropped most notably during the spring time (-12%), although they had been holding constant throughout the summer season. It is mainly camping sites which suffered the most from the lower number of tourists (-5,1%), while hotels saw a small increase in patronage (+2%).
While Breton tourism recorded a drop in the total number of tourists in 2016, this was especially true for foreign tourists: -10% for English tourists, -6% for tourists from the Netherlands, -5% for German tourists; only Belgian (+3%) and Swiss tourists showed a small increase in their visitation numbers.
Nevertheless, the region remains a favorite destination for French tourists who value the region's hospitality, security, quality accommodation, picturesque landscapes, and rich cultural heritage. According to the Regional Tourism Committee, there are, however, some areas which need improvement, such as the public transportation accessibility and pricing.