French tourism is in danger. With the drop in the number of foreign visitors, professionals consider the situation to be very critical. The decline in activity in France threatens 30,000 jobs.
Tourism professionals have never faced such a situation. While France is assured of retaining its position as the world leader this year (84.5 million international tourists last year, compared to 75 million for the United States, in second place), it is nevertheless suffering from an unprecedented drop in attendance.
Subject to the results of the third quarter, the arrivals of foreign tourists in 2016 are expected to be 4 to 5% lower than those in 2015,
This means nearly 3 million fewer foreign tourists compared to 2015. It would be the largest decrease in about forty years.
On the Côte d’Azur, the drop in arrivals is widespread.
It is estimated at 10% even though we are awaiting the official figures for the third quarter. This decline in the number of tourists would correspond to a drop in turnover of around 20 to 25% for the sector.
Its impact, however, varies according to geographical areas, types of establishments, and client segments. Urban centers and mid to high-end hotels are the most affected.
“Such a decline, if confirmed in the final results, is exceptional: previous major drops following the Paris attacks in 1995 and September 11, 2001, were smaller,” adds the CRT Côte d’Azur.
In response, the Alpes-Maritimes department, the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur (PACA) region, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI) of Nice Côte d’Azur, and Atout France have adopted a recovery plan for tourism on the Côte d’Azur.
With a budget of one million euros, its first communication campaigns aim to generate positive images to launch “a recovery plan for the destination” – adds the CRT Côte d’Azur.
