Tourists have rediscovered their taste for France, according to the latest figures compiled by INSEE. The sector has even returned to a level seen before the Paris attacks at the end of 2015.
According to INSEE, the number of overnight stays in the second quarter reached 107.1 million, representing an increase of 10.2% compared to the second quarter of 2016… and 4% compared to the same period in 2015, before the attacks cast a pall over Paris at the end of that year and then Nice on July 14, 2016. The recovery is therefore strong, both among foreign tourists and domestic customers, the institute emphasizes. The upward trend in tourist numbers started as early as the fourth quarter of 2016, with a 3.9% increase in overnight stays.
The Minister in charge of Tourism, Jean-Yves Le Drian, has already stated that “France could reach 88 to 89 million foreign tourists in 2017, an increase of 5 to 6% compared to 2016.”
This gives confidence in the goal of 100 million foreign visitors by 2020, as again highlighted by the Minister of Tourism, Jean-Yves Le Drian.
However, not everything is rosy. The consulting firm Protourisme is less enthusiastic: while the number of overnight stays has increased, it is mainly due to the reduction in room rates offered by hotel operators to boost the occupancy of their establishments.
Moreover, the vacation budget of tourists has decreased by an average of around a hundred euros, which impacts restaurant owners. The revenue of hoteliers only increased by 3.5% in the first half of the year.
