The French Riviera is doing well. This was recently presented by David Lisnard, President of CRT CÔTE d’AZUR FRANCE, at the summer season review meeting chaired by the Prefect of Alpes-Maritimes.
Indeed, a recovery plan of 2.3 million euros funded by the Departmental Council of Alpes-Maritimes, the Provence Alpes Côte d’Azur Region, and the Government via Atout France has borne fruit.
The tourist attendance observed in July, with contrasting situations between establishments, significantly amplified in August and continued until September, allowing for the recovery of losses suffered in these same months in 2016.
In August, hotel and tourist residence occupancy reached 86% again, returning to the average level of recent years. Overnight stays increased by 7% this month, and by 6% over the cumulative period of July-August. September shows an occupancy rate of nearly 79% for urban hotels, a 3.6-point increase.
The October results are expected to be very good.
The positive trend is also evident in terms of revenue. Thus, the hotel RevPAR increased by 16% in August, offsetting the 5% decline recorded in July. It continued its progression (+6%) in September.
The average spending of visitors traveling by plane, across all accommodations, increased by 5% over July-August, reaching 111 euros per day. This is the fifth consecutive year of growth, allowing for a return to the highest spending levels since the summer of 2005.
The presence of high-contribution international clientele on the French Riviera explains these positive developments. Thanks to the Côte d’Azur France recovery plan implemented throughout 2017, there has been a favorable increase in overnight stays from several target countries:
Italy +18%
China and Asia +15%
Germany +14%
Netherlands +8%
Scandinavia +7%
USA +7%
To support the recovery of the Russian market (+22%), a CÔTE d’AZUR FRANCE mission is already scheduled for April 2018. It will cover the cities of Kyiv, Saint Petersburg, and Moscow.
Finally, to maintain the positive momentum of the Central European markets (+17%), a visit is planned for March 2018 in Bucharest, Budapest, Prague, and Warsaw.
