Every summer, Mathieu Roux organizes canoe trips along the Gorges de l’Allier gorges. It is a river trip in the heart of the countryside that takes canoeists to the foot of the Malmouche cliffs in central France, where they can catch glimpses of a Gallo-Roman oppidum or one of the most beautiful listed medieval villages in France. But this year, the riverside resorts saw fewer tourists donning life jackets. "Our sales were down 25% compared to previous years," said the manager of Auvergne Loisirs, which employs around 15 people during the season.

Like Roux, many tourism professionals were disappointed by the summer of 2024, which was not surprising given their high expectations after the two excellent preceding seasons. But July was a particularly difficult month. According to a survey carried out in Brittany, only 38% of the 1,000 tourism professionals interviewed said they were satisfied with their July results, compared with more than 80% between 2019 and 2022. About 70% of the respondents recorded a drop in sales. The surveys carried out in southern Occitanie and Nouvelle-Aquitaine received similar responses.

Were there really fewer tourists? The proportion of French people going away for the weekend or on vacation during the summer was little changed, and according to figures released by ADN Tourisme, the number was only down by two points at 65%. However, stays were shorter and spending more constrained. According to figures provided by the Tourism Ministry on Tuesday, September 3, tourist accommodations up to mid-August were down by 6% compared to 2023. The numbers picked up again, and by late summer had reached the same levels as last year.

A number of factors attributed to the situation: Inclement weather that lasted through spring, right up to the end of July, which discouraged the French from planning their vacations; political uncertainties linked to the elections, which generated a form of wait-and-see attitude; the Olympic Games, which led many French people to postpone or cancel their vacations; and a late start to the school vacations. The most important was the rise in prices, which over the last two years, in all areas of tourism and leisure, has led to compromise. In the latest survey on Nouvelle-Aquitaine, of the 1,200 tourism professionals questioned, 75% estimated that tourist spending has fallen this year.

Leisure activities and restaurants have suffered the most. "Restaurant owners have sensed their customers are cutting back – fewer aperitifs, fewer coffees and fewer desserts – people are being careful," said Catherine Quérard, the president of the French Hotel and Restaurant Association, which represents 1,800 establishments. This has put a strain on the sector, which has been faced with rising costs over the past two years: rent, energy, food costs and wage increases, which bosses have finally agreed to in response to the recruitment crisis. "Margins have shrunk," Quérard said.

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