Insee Première · May 2022 · n° 1901

In 2021, despite the summer upturn in campsites, the tourist attendance decreased by a quarter compared to 2019

In 2021, the tourist attendance in collective accommodation establishments in France was a quarter lower than before the sanitary crisis. However, this shortfall was less important than in the main European touristic countries.

With the gradual lifting of travel restrictions, business picked up in May and June, mainly driven by resident customers. The recovery was more notable on the coast and in the mountains than in urban areas such as the Île-de-France region.

From July onwards, tourist activity accelerated. In the second half of 2021, hotel occupancy in mainland France returned to 84% of its 2019 level. It continued to suffer from a loss of business stays and lower attendance of international customers, in particular coming from the United Kingdom and the United States.

In campsites and other collective accommodation establishments, visitor numbers were almost back to their pre-crisis level thanks to resident customers.