A type of "speed dating" event for investors, managers and elected officials at the controls of tourism in France: This is what the Destination France Summit in the Château de Chantilly (north of Paris) was to become on Thursday, January 11.
Around 200 French and foreign executives were expected to attend, representing the heavyweights of the sector: Compagnie des Alpes, Airbnb, Marriott, Expedia, Pierre & Vacances, Groupe Barrière, Club Med, Europa-Park, Louvre Hotels, Accor, and so on. It was a way to promote a sector that represents nearly 8% of France's gross domestic product and employs 1.7 million people, but remains underappreciated.
French President Emmanuel Macron set a number of key objectives. Encouraging investments that contribute to decarbonizing the industry, ensuring that tourists have better quality experiences, spend more and stay longer, and all at the start of what looks set to be an eventful 2024: the Olympic and Paralympic Games, with their expected 15 million visitors, the reopening of Notre-Dame Cathedral, the commemorations of the 80th anniversary of D-Day and the summit dedicated to celebrating the French language in Villers-Cotterêts (northern France).
The profession is excited about so many highlights and the fact that overall, the industry had returned to pre-Covid-19 pandemic levels in 2023, according to a report presented by MKG, a specialist consultancy, and Alliance France Tourisme on Wednesday. France remains the world’s leading tourist destination, and revenue per available room in the hotel sector, a key indicator in this field, is up 15% on 2023. This growth is being driven by prices (+10% in one year, and even +26% compared to 2019) and by customers who are still showing up.
The results nevertheless reveal disparities: Top-of-the-range establishments (four and five stars) outperform the other categories. Some regions have benefited more from the post-Covid recovery (Paris, Provence-Côte-d’Azur), others less (Channel coast, North-East, South-West).
The major national players are holding their own. Compagnie des Alpes, for example, posted a 3% increase in operating surplus, driven by its accommodation business and increased attendance at its theme parks. Revenues from its ski resorts held up well, in a national ski market that is nonetheless declining. Another major player, the Pierre & Vacances group, saw its sales increase by 13%, thanks in particular to the appeal of its Center Parcs.
"Overall, the sector is showing satisfactory results for 2023, but we need investment. Tourism is not a cash cow. If we don’t do something, we’ll be overtaken, as in many other sectors in which we’ve rested on our laurels," believes Dominique Marcel, President of Alliance France Tourisme. In the world of accommodation and catering, many establishments are suffering the effects of inflation, struggling to repay their state-guaranteed loans and recruit staff. "The hotels that are suffering are those in the large villages or small towns in the provinces, the quality mid-range hotels that make France so charming," noted Marcel.
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