While the health crisis seems to have faded away in the four corners of the world, offering months of respite conducive to the resumption of tourism, France does not seem to have lost its superbness and continues to attract many travelers. French and foreign holidaymakers alike have flocked to France this spring and this trend is set to continue throughout the summer.
Although tourists were initially very cautious about leaving for foreign countries, it would appear that those from Europe have indeed chosen France as their destination of choice. In fact, despite a slower and later recovery in the long-haul markets, the various European markets are once again turning their attention to France, as are the French themselves, who continue to favor domestic tourism.
To measure these travel intentions, ADN Tourisme has joined forces with Atout France to draw up an inventory of the desire for holidays in France for French and international clients for this spring 2022. Revenge travel seems to be the order of the day in view of the number of French people who have planned to make several trips between April and June, they were, on the whole, more than 70%. This desire is amplified by the many opportunities to get away from it all, including the Easter weekend, the spring holidays, the Ascension and Whitsun holidays.
Overall, these respondents intended to stay 2.2 times and spend almost 10.6 days away from home over the three-month period. In terms of accommodation, 29% of stays were expected to be in hotels, 23% with family or friends, 16% in furnished accommodation and 9% in camping. While coastal and rural destinations were still as popular as ever, the urban environment has regained some of its color with a quarter of the stays scheduled there this spring. However, there has been an increase in the interest shown by the French in holidays abroad, rising from 5% to 11%.
In the European and long-haul markets studied, i.e. the United Kingdom, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Spain and the United States, holiday departure intentions for the next 6 months are up by 15 to 20 points compared to last year. And international travel is once again popular, with trips planned over the next 3 months. France is in a relatively good position, as it is the number one international tourist destination in Europe for American, Belgian, Italian and Spanish customers.
France's overall image is very positive in Europe and the United States. In particular, British customers seem to be making a comeback in France, as shown by the good momentum observed in mountain resorts in the first quarter of 2022. In terms of obstacles to planned holidays in France, the current geopolitical context is at the top of the list of fears expressed by the various European markets. The economic variable, linked to the current high inflation, is already ranked 2nd among the fears expressed, while the epidemic recovery is relegated to 3rd place.
While 20% of French people did not want to take a holiday before the summer period, particularly because of financial constraints, 71% of them in March 2022 already had plans for the summer holidays, compared with 72% in May 2021. France remains an attractive destination, even though more people will be taking off this year than in 2020 and 2021. However, 68% say that their budget will be reduced due to inflation and 42% are waiting to see how the Ukrainian conflict develops before booking.
