France's tourism industry is almost back to its 2019 levels and is actually performing better when considering turnover and average prices. This information comes from the first edition of the monthly report on economic activity and performance produced by Alliance France Tourisme (AFT).
In this report, the organization analyzed the significant periods in the sector, such as summer and the Rugby World Cup. They observed that during the summer season, there was a 0.4-point decline in occupancy rates in France compared to the same period in 2022, which indicates overall stability in commercial accommodation attendance. However, regions like the Northern Alps experienced more significant declines of up to 4.5%. On the other hand, both the average price and turnover increased by 9.8% and 9.3%, respectively.
Host cities benefited from the Rugby World Cup
The occupancy rate of European accommodation grew by 1.6% in September compared to the previous year. However, France is only experiencing a slight increase in occupancy rate (+0.3%) and a decrease (-1.6%) compared to September 2019. Despite this, the average prices for French hosts have seen a growth of 11.1% compared to 2022 and 27% compared to September 2019, which has boosted the growth in their activity.
The recently ended Rugby World Cup also had a positive impact on French tourism. The cities that hosted matches, such as Nantes (88.1% occupancy rate), Nice (87.9%), and Lyon (87.9%), have seen a surge in tourism. However, Paris and Saint-Denis experienced a drop in occupancy rates on match evenings (-4% to 82.3%). Overall, the attendance between September 8 and October 28 decreased slightly compared to last year (-1.1 points). But the average price has increased by 14.4% and turnover by 12.9%.
Faced with competition, French tourism must consolidate its appeal
According to Dominique Marcel, President of the AFT, the latest results reveal that tourist revenues are dynamic, mainly due to price changes. At the same time, attendance has remained stable compared to last year but is still lower than 2019. Given the intense competition, these results highlight the need for us to continue our efforts to enhance the tourism appeal of our country.