Insee Première · February 2022 · n° 1893

In 2020, tourist trips were mainly limited to visits to relatives or second homes

In 2019, in terms of tourist trips, whether for personal or professional purposes, there were 1,194 billion overnight stays by residents of metropolitan France (sources). Although this figure is close to 2018 levels, it is still much higher than 2020 levels. The health crisis has indeed profoundly changed tourist habits. Residents reported 345 million fewer overnight stays than the year before, which represents a decrease of 29% (figure 1). . Overnight stays decreased most significantly in April, May and November between 2019 and 2020. National and international travel restrictions were behind the fact that only 6 million overnight stays were recorded in April 2020, compared to 93 million one year earlier. In April 2020, residents limited travelling to visiting relatives or a second home, so the number of overnight stays in commercial accommodation was close to zero.

Before the Covid-19 health crisis, trips taken by residents abroad accounted for a significant proportion of tourist travel. In 2019, there were 272 million overnight stays by residents outside France, whether for personal or business purposes, i.e. 23% of overnight stays for the year. Bordering European countries were the most popular destinations for residents, led by Spain, which was significantly ahead of Italy, then Portugal. These three countries alone accounted for 30% of nights spent abroad. Residents travelling abroad mostly travelled by plane and stayed in hotels.

As a result of health measures, border closures and the suspension of some flights, residents drastically reduced their trips abroad. In 2020, overnight stays decreased by 191 million, i.e. by 70%. All destinations suffered a drop in tourism of the same magnitude, around 90% in the 2^nd quarter, 70% in the 3^rd quarter and 80% in the 4^th quarter of 2020.

Overnight stays abroad, for all purposes, which accounted for 23% of overnight stays in 2019, only accounted for 9% in 2020. Residents favoured tourism travel in France, accounting for 9 out of 10 overnight tourist stays in 2020, mainly for personal purposes.

In number, overnight tourist stays for personal purposes in France decreased between 2019 and 2020. In proportion, overnight tourist stays for personal purposes dominated the category of tourist travel, accounting for 86% of overnight stays.

In 2020, tourists from metropolitan France opted for non-commercial accommodation. With 506 million overnight stays in 2019, tourist stays for personal purposes in France in non-commercial accommodation were already becoming popular (figure 2). Three-quarters of these overnight stays were with relatives, family or friends, and one-quarter at a second home. In 2019, residents chose non-commercial accommodation one and a half times more often than commercial accommodation for their personal trips in France. This trend grew in 2020: 62% of overnight stays in France were spent staying with friends, family or at second homes, compared to 59% in 2019. More than half of the overnight tourist stays in the year were for personal trips in non-commercial accommodation. The decrease in stays in non-commercial accommodation was therefore curbed, with -11% overnight stays in one year, i.e. 54 million fewer overnight stays. The decrease was mainly caused by the month of April 2020 with 38 million fewer overnight stays compared to the previous year, then to a lesser extent by the month of November (-19 million) (figure 3). In the other months of the year, overnight stays in non-commercial accommodation did not fall as significantly. There was even an increase compared to 2019 as soon as the first lockdown ended, in June, and a significant improvement was recorded in July (+10 million) and August (+7 million).

In 2019, residents spent 347 million nights in commercial accommodation in France, when travelling for personal purposes. Of all overnight tourist stays, this accounts for 3 out of 10 overnight stays by residents. Among the various types of accommodation offered, rental accommodation provided by private individuals, cottages and bed and breakfasts came out on top with 147 million overnight stays. There were 86 million overnight stays at campsites and other outdoor accommodation, preferred for longer and family stays. The hotel industry, less frequently chosen for personal travel, accounted for 62 million overnight stays in 2019, slightly more than stays in tourist residences (52 million overnight stays), which are generally more expensive.

In 2020, administrative measures linked to the health crisis imposed restrictions on accommodation establishments. For personal trips, the use of commercial accommodation by residents of mainland France decreased by 21%, i.e. by 71 million overnight stays in one year.

The hotel industry recorded the largest drop (-28%), with a large majority of establishments closing during the first lockdown. Visits to campsites also fell sharply (-26%), since the health crisis began shortly before the start of the outdoor accommodation season. Overnight stays spent with private individuals or at cottages, as well as in tourist residences, also decreased, but not as significantly (16%).

Stays for personal purposes in commercial accommodation in France started to decrease in March, reaching almost zero in April and May 2020. During this first lockdown in France, overnight stays decreased by more than 90%. At the end of the first lockdown, while overnight stays in non-commercial accommodation returned to the same level as the previous year, overnight stays in commercial accommodation continued to decrease. In June, the shortfall in overnight stays stood at around 19 million. With 54 million overnight stays recorded in July 2019 as in July 2020, paid accommodation in France only recovered from July onwards, during the summer holidays. Although there were more overnight stays declared in August than the previous year, the increase remained moderate compared to the drops recorded in the 2^nd quarter. In total, in the 3^rd quarter of 2020, overnight stays in France in commercial accommodation increased by 4% compared to the same quarter of 2019. The recovery of hotels (+48% in August) did not offset the drop in overnight stays at campsites. With the second lockdown and the closure of winter sports resorts, stays in commercial accommodation by residents sharply decreased in the 4^th quarter; the number of overnight stays fell by 89% in November and 53% in December.

While residents used commercial accommodation less in France in 2020 due to the decline in personal travel, they also used it less in a context of reduced business travel as a result of the health crisis. Commercial accommodation, in particular the hotel industry, is the standard accommodation for business travel. In 2019, residents declared that they had spent 69 million nights away from home for business, nearly half of which were in hotels, 21% in another type of paid accommodation and 32% in non-commercial accommodation, most often at the home of a relative.

In 2020, there were 40 million professional overnight stays by residents in France, a decrease of 42% compared to 2019. This decline particularly affected the hotel industry, with 16 million fewer overnight stays in 2020 compared to 2019. The health crisis definitely limited business travel, which was partially compensated for by teleconferences. In addition, most hotels and other commercial accommodation remained closed as the pandemic progressed.

From March 2020, professional overnight stays fell sharply compared to 2019, with a significant drop in the 2^nd quarter (-70%). Despite the easing of health measures in May, professional overnight stays did not pick up in the second half of 2020. They remained well below 2020 levels, in the 3^rd quarter (-38%) as well as in the 4^th quarter (-28%). The development of teleworking and remote meetings seem to have changed business travel practices.

The difficulties, and sometimes impossibility, of travelling abroad undoubtedly tipped in favour of personal trips to France during the summer of 2020. In July–August, residents spent 17 million more overnight stays in non-commercial accommodation and 6 million more overnight stays in commercial accommodation than in 2019. As in 2019, French residents favoured the South-East for their personal trips. The South-East accounted for 37% of overnight stays in France in 2020, far ahead of the North-West (25%), or even the South-West (20%).

In 2020, the four major geographical regions were moderately affected by the decline in tourist numbers. In mainland France, Île-de-France is however an exception, since it was particularly affected by the health crisis: overnight stays there decreased by 33% in one year, or 13 million. The decline was even more marked in DOMs as a result of restrictions on air travel. Overnight stays there fell by 47%. The restrictions on public transport in 2020 increased the use of private transport, which was already the main mode of transport for tourist travel in France: this accounted for 84% of overnight stays in 2020, compared to 82% in 2019.