Tourism in 2010: a brighter year for hotels, an excellent one for camping grounds

Attendance in French hotels, hard hit by the economic crisis in 2009, picked up in 2010. In camping grounds, attendance has been rising steadily since 2008. Foreign visitors contributed to the increased attendance in both categories of accommodation. Hotel attendance by business customers was up from 2009, a sign of the economic recovery that began in early 2010. In both the hotel and camping categories, the most comfortable units were in greatest demand. In the camping-ground sector, customers are increasingly choosing spots with light-weight dwelling units such as chalets and bungalows. Camping grounds are accordingly expanding their supply of such units. The greatest beneficiaries of this recovery are urban hotels, particularly in Paris. The Atlantic coast and mountain regions attracted more campers in 2010 than before.