The 2020 summer season will unsurprisingly show a significant decline compared to previous years. However, after the tourist flow came to almost a standstill between April and June, the current recovery is picking up at an impressive pace.
A large number of visitors have been arriving since the end of June, mostly by road and train, while the return of air travelers is proving to be much slower.
By the end of June, only 22% of rooms were booked for July, but hotel occupancy reached 58% for the month (with nearly all the facilities open), increasing from 39% in the first week to 72% at the end of the month. The speed of the clientele’s return is remarkable with very short-term bookings.
For the first two weeks of August, the average rate already reaches 85% (only 4 points lower than last year). Last-minute demand has been strongly stimulated by promotional offers and the combined efforts of the Côte d’Azur France Recovery Plan and its local partners.
The trend also appears strong in tourist and hospitality residences, and even better than in the hotel sector, with an average occupancy in July exceeding 70%, against 80% last year.
Attendance, mainly French with the gradual return of foreigners (neighboring Europe: Germany, Belgium, Switzerland, Netherlands, Italy), is spread across the entire territory.
In the mountains, the situation remains mixed: there is a moderate decline in attendance at Gîtes de France, while outdoor activities are experiencing great success.
In contrast, museum and monument attendance in July is down 40% compared to July 2019, with stability or even an increase in French and local visitors, but a drop of more than half for foreign visitors.
For the remainder of the season, the cautious and prudent behavior of the tourist clientele does not guarantee, at this time, the maintenance of this high level of attendance.
