But where have the French holidaymakers gone?

Almost all regions of the country are experiencing a drop in attendance this summer, especially among French customers. There are several reasons for this mystery.

Where did they disappear to? Almost everywhere in France, the number of French tourists fell in July compared to the same month last year: -14% of tourist numbers for Saint-Malo and Mont-Saint-Michel; -10% in the Pyrénées-Orientales; -10% in the Dordogne. In Corsican airports, there were 70,000 fewer passengers. “There were promotions in Brittany in July. That never happens,” wonders Jessica Viscart, deputy director of the Brittany Regional Tourism Committee. Among the rare exceptions is Paris, which recorded 4% more visitors during the Olympic Games period compared to last year, according to its tourist office. However, the French’s plans to go on holiday this summer were equivalent to those of last year (74%, compared to 73%), according to an OpinionWay survey in June. So there is a mystery.

Guaranteed sun capital

To get it up, we contact Philippe Gloaguen, founder of the Backpacker’s guide. He leaves us a tempting message: “I think I know where they are. I’ll call you back soon.” In the meantime, we call ADN Tourisme. The organization brings together 1,200 offices for visitors and publishes the most comprehensive figures. July was indeed gloomy: -6% of overnight stays in France among French visitors. Rodolphe Brenier, research officer, points out several factors. First, the early legislative elections: “They led to last-minute cancellations among those who wanted to vote.” Then, the gloomy weather. Then, July 14, which fell on a Sunday and made it impossible to take a bridge. Finally, and contrary to what was announced, the Olympic Games did not cause a flight of Ile-de-France residents to other regions. “There were as many of them in Île-de-France during the first week of the Olympic Games as during the same week in 2023,” reveals Antoine Angeard, general director of ADN Tourisme, based on telephone location data provided by Orange.

Philippe Gloaguen reminds us of Portugal after completing his visit to a 16th century royal chapel. He explains that The Backpacker’s Guide knows the sales figures for his guides week after week. He can therefore know which are the French people’s favourite destinations. Due to the heatwaves, guides to northern countries have been in high demand for three years: Scandinavia, Ireland, Iceland, Scotland. This summer, there was an unexpected turnaround: those for Italy, Greece and Spain have seen a surge. Could it be because of the torrential rain that fell on France in 2024 – according to Météo France, this spring was the wettest since 2008? This is the theory of some tourism committees. “People wanted to ensure the sun,” suggests Jessica Viscart.

The intuition is confirmed by other figures. Compared to last year, 500,000 more French people went abroad, calculated Didier Arino, director of the Protourisme firm. Christelle Chassagne, president of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine Regional Tourism Committee, also observed a “clear increase” in the number of inhabitants of her region going abroad. In particular to Spain, Morocco and Greece. But for her, the desire for sun does not explain everything. It is also a question of purchasing power. Low-cost flights have returned to small airports, for example in La Rochelle, from where one could leave this year for Morocco. “These countries offer all-inclusive packages that are cheaper than in France, where restaurateurs and hoteliers have increased their prices because of inflation. Price remains the essential criterion,” warns Christelle Chassagne. According to her, the first question asked in almost all tourist offices in Nouvelle-Aquitaine today is: “what are the free activities?”

Late check out

All is not lost, however. In 2023, the last week of August had made up for the entire summer. Due to the late start of the school year, on a Monday, many had chosen to leave that month, when they could accumulate five full weeks. This is the case again this year. “A good calendar is important,” says Antoine Angeard. “In the spring, for example, with the May 8 and Ascension Day bank holidays, our numbers exploded.”

Breton Jessica Viscart also puts things into perspective. While attendance in her region dropped slightly in July compared to last year, it remains higher than 2019, “which was already a big year,” she notes. The reality is that 2022 and 2023 were exceptional seasons, because of the need for post-Covid vacations.