After two years of pandemic that have disrupted the sector, 2022 has been the year of a return to normal for the world of tourism. The recovery in activity is confirmed, even if the main indicators observed at national level – number of visitors, occupancy rate of hotel rooms, number of passengers in airports, etc. – remain lower than those observed in 2019, reference year before the health crisis. Tourism receipts should still reach 50 billion euros in 2022.
Among the big winners of 2022 are campsites. During the summer, they recorded record attendance (+7.5% compared to 2019). Desire for nature revived since the confinements, tighter budgets, revival of local tourism: the “outdoor hotel industry” is also attracting a new clientele because it is moving upmarket, with more and more permanent accommodation, swimming pools ever more pharaonic…
Amusement parks, another form of local tourism, were also celebrated throughout the year. In Ile-de-France, Aventure Floréval and Winnoland experienced increases in attendance of 27% and 29% compared to 2019, according to the results of the regional tourism committee (CRT). In Loir-et-Cher, the pandas at the Beauval zoo have never been observed by so many people: the site and its hotels welcomed two million visitors in 2022 (+ 25% compared to 2019). Never seen.
Occupancy rates even lower
The Compagnie des Alpes leisure parks (Parc Astérix, Futuroscope, etc.) also recorded exceptional performances with ten million visitors, i.e. 6% more than before the pandemic. And even if the price of tickets has increased a lot, tourists still spend more than usual during their visit (in hotels, shops, restaurants, etc.), notes the Compagnie des Alpes.
Conversely, the main Parisian monuments eased in 2022, in particular due to the absence of Asian customers. The Louvre Museum had 20% fewer visitors compared to 2019. Versailles sold 17% fewer tickets.
With a third fewer pilgrims compared to before the pandemic, Lourdes (Hautes-Pyrénées) is breathing. But in the Marian city, many hotel establishments are in difficulty.
At the national level, occupancy rates in hotels have not returned to their 2019 levels (– 4.4 points, according to the annual report of the firm MKG). It must be said that room prices have increased a lot (+ 14% since 2019), faster than inflation. The luxury hotel industry holds the prize for the highest rate increases (+23%), driven by a clientele that is not very sensitive to prices. In this sector, revenue per room has soared; opening projects are multiplying.
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