The optimism for the summer season of 2011 is evident among tourism professionals. Interviewed in mid-June, a panel of more than 200 tourism hospitality professionals expressed a rather positive outlook: 74% of them considered the activity from May to mid-June as “quite good or good” or even “very good”.
The French attendance is deemed generally stable, but the trend towards the return of foreign clientele is confirmed: it appears stable for 50% but increasing for nearly one in five professionals.
For the rest of the summer season, 83% of professionals express confidence.
This is the highest index since the summer of 2006, and only 2 out of 3 were in this situation in 2009-10.
For hospitality professionals, the level of reservations (in mid-June) appears: “very good” for 12%, “quite good” for 59%, “rather poor” for 22%.
If optimism seems indeed to have returned within the profession, it is primarily due to the gradual recovery of consumption since the 2008-9 crisis.
But a second factor has been added: the redirection of a portion of demand away from sensitive destinations in the Mediterranean basin.
Thus, for 52% of professionals, the political situation experienced by these destinations will have a positive impact on tourism in the French Riviera: 20% think it will have a strong impact and 32% a moderate impact.
Conversely, 35% believe it will have no impact and 3% think the impact on the region will be negative (10% did not express an opinion).
