Informations Rapides · 15 February 2024 · n° 35

In Q4 2023, collective tourist attendance decreased over a year (‑3.2%) Tourism occupancy in hotels, campsites and holiday and other short-stay accommodation in metropolitan France - fourth quarter 2023

In the fourth quarter of 2023, in France, occupancy in collective accommodations except for campsites, measured in overnight stays, decreased by 3.2% compared to Q4 2022. It decreased in both hotels (‑3.2%) and holiday and other short-stay accommodations (HOSSA, ‑3.4%).

In the fourth quarter of 2023, hotel occupancy was 47 million overnight stays. It decreased by 3.2% compared to its Q4 2022 level. The decline in resident customers’ attendance mainly explained this fall (‑4.6% over one year, that is 1.5 million fewer overnight stays), partly due to the end-of-year school holidays starting a week later than in 2022. Non-residents’ attendance, which was lower at this time of the year compared to summer, decreased slightly (‑0.3% over a year).

Unclassified hotels suffered the most from this decrease of attendance. Overnight stays fell by 11.3% compared to Q4 2022. Occupancy in 1- to 3- star hotels also decreased, but more gently. Only upscale hotels (4 and 5 stars) kept nearly the same level of occupancy as in Q4 2022 (‑0.4%) thanks to the increase of non-residents’ attendance.

Overnight stays in hotels decreased in all areas, except in provincial urban area where it was almost stable. The decline was particularly marked in Île-de-France (‑6.5%), the only area where overnight stays fell for both resident and non-resident customers.

Business attendance highly decreased in Q4 2023 compared to Q4 2022 (‑20.1%, that is 4.7 million fewer overnight stays). This decline has been observed since the health crisis. It impacted all areas, but it was particularly significant in Île-de-France (‑25.4% compared to Q4 2022, that is 1.9 million fewer business nights).

After several quarters of increase, non-resident customers’ overnight stays in hotels slightly decreased in Q4 2023 compared to Q4 2022 (‑0.3%).

Hotel occupancy decreased for Dutch (‑17.7%), Belgium (‑5.9%) and German customers (‑5.6%). On the other hand, British customers increased by 17.9%.

Hotels occupancy from the United States decreased sharply in Q4 2023 (‑7.9%). On the contrary, customer attendance from all other countries kept increasing (+9.3%). It was mainly due to the increase of the attendance of both Chinese and Japanese customers, although it remained below its pre-health crisis level.

In holiday and other short-stay accommodations of metropolitan France, attendance decreased by 3.4%, compared to Q4 2022, that is 550,000 fewer overnight stays, due to the disaffection of customers in tourist residences (‑4.3%). Resident customers’ attendance decreased (‑5.9%), while non-resident customers’ one increased sharply (+9.0%).

Overnight stays decreased in ski mountain area (‑10.0%), due in particular to the later end-of-year school holidays, and in Île-de-France (‑3.1%). The decrease is more moderate on the coastlines (‑0.9%) and in provincial urban area (‑0.6%).