It is time for the OTC (tourism and conventions office) and the city of Nice to assess its tourism attractiveness. Therefore, it will be necessary to adapt, prospect, prepare the ground, and already imagine from scratch the next summer season, which might come sooner than expected. Here are some explanations regarding Nice’s action plan for 2013 as well as the 2012 report in a report card style.
2011: Nice receives accolades!
To review 2012 and prepare for 2013, one must first recall 2011. And it’s easy because Nice enjoyed a very good 2011 vintage.
All indicators were on the rise during this “positive” year. The tourism office was much more visited (+2%), Nice Côte d’Azur airport tarmac received significantly more travelers (+21%), and their budgets didn’t appear to be limited (+20%). In total, this represents 3,707,804 overnight stays, suggesting one sleeps well under the Nice sun.
Finally, the occupancy rate smoothed over the year increased by 1% compared to 2010, and as the saying goes: “Viva Nissa la bella!”. In short, Nice presents a lovely report card, a good student who seems to have significant potential in foreign languages.
Indeed, 58% (an increase of 10% from 2010) of overnight stays were made by foreign tourists; Nice plays it “British” (+14% of tourists) and fares even better in German (+16% of tourists). Finally, saving the best for last, with a 36% increase in Russian tourists: “Spacibo!” (note: “thank you” in Russian). The French, however, account for the remaining 42% and somewhat snubbed Nice with a 3% decline in overnight stays.
2012: Nice, slowing down, receives a warning… but also encouragements
Trends as of the end of July 2012 are not excellent but not alarmingly so either. Has Nice rested on its laurels, or is it yet another blow from the crisis?
The tourism office’s attendance is down by 4%, yet the Nice airport continues to welcome more visitors (+16%). Visitors who probably decided to manage their budgets or significantly reduce them as their average spending drops by 7%.
2,155,506 is the number of overnight stays recorded as of the end of July 2012. The ratio hasn’t changed: 42% of overnight stays are made by French tourists versus 58% for foreign clientele. The Germans are downcast (-21%), but the good news is that Nice has won over the USA (+11% of tourists) and especially China (+28%).
The OTC and the city of Nice are prepared to do everything to keep Nice thriving. The two organizations have conducted promotional actions in Scandinavia, Moscow, and even the French capital. And it’s not over yet; soon, Nice will be at the heart of a major image operation launched in New York to dazzle the Americans with “the most beautiful business card” in the world. The Russians, meanwhile, have fallen in love with the metropolis and the French Riviera. Moreover, according to Denis Zanon (Director General of the Nice Tourism Office), the “second Russian airline is determined to open a (flight) link between Nice and Moscow”.
In short, it’s a whole effort of canvassing, communication, and actions targeting the international press (277 journalists from 20 different countries were welcomed in Nice) that makes Nice the most enticing French postcard after Paris. Conclusion: Nice still needs to make progress and never relax!
For 2013, Nice is already hard at work!
Everything has been done to continue attracting more tourists. According to the OTC, it is therefore necessary to strengthen Nice’s presence in European markets (France, Great Britain, Germany, Scandinavia, Benelux, Switzerland) and on medium and long-haul markets (USA, Japan, Canada). In Austria, Italy, and Spain, some visibility is to be maintained. As for prospecting efforts, they will focus on Russia and Poland.
Rudy Salles, deputy mayor in charge of tourism and international relations, reminds us that efforts must continue to better welcome the Chinese clientele, who make Nice their second French destination.
Another type of tourism is increasingly gaining ground in Nice: “gay-friendly” tourism. Denis Zanon explains that “Nice naturally has all the assets” to attract these visitors. The OTC is riding the wave and communicating to the max; Nice is also the first city in France to receive the “Gay Comfort” label.
Seminars are “regularly organized alongside more than 40 Nice-based member establishments,” claims the director of the tourism and conventions office.
Nice is open to the entire world and its diverse cultures, and it seems to have the undeniable power to adapt to those who come to admire it. Blessed city, situated between land, sea, and mountains, Nice knows how to charm, seduce, but also inspire and be envied; in Macao, they wish to have a Jazz festival worthy of Nice’s, and in the city of Nizhny Novgorod (in Russia), they desire a “Nice-style” Carnival.
Tourism professionals, the OTC, and the municipality are working hand in hand so that visitors from around the world continue to come and dream of Nice.
