7 February 2017
2017- n° 35In Q4 2016, tourist nights picked up sharply (+3.9% y-o-y) Tourism occupancy in hotels, campsites and holiday and other short-stay accommodation
in metropolitan France - fourth quarter 2016
In the fourth quarter of 2016, throughout metropolitan France, the number of overnight stays in tourist collective accomodation recovered sharply (+3.9% compared to the same period in 2015) after two consecutive quarters of decline. This strong rebound more than offset the sharp decline (−1.8%) recorded one year earlier linked to the impact of the terrorist attacks. The number of overnight stays overtook the level of the fourth quarter 2014. This rebound, which was particulary marked for French customers (+4.3%), also concerned foreign customers (+2.9%).
Tourist nights bounced back in metropolitan France
In the fourth quarter of 2016, throughout metropolitan France, the number of overnight stays in tourist collective accomodation recovered sharply (+3.9% compared to the same period in 2015) after two consecutive quarters of decline. This strong rebound more than offset the sharp decline (−1.8%) recorded one year earlier linked to the impact of the terrorist attacks. The number of overnight stays overtook the level of the fourth quarter 2014. This rebound, which was particulary marked for French customers (+4.3%), also concerned foreign customers (+2.9%).
The overnight stays advanced strongly in high end hotels
The overnight stays in hotels picked up in the forth quarter (+4.9% year on year), more for French customers (+5.7%) then for foreign customers (+3.0%). Occupancy went up sharply in four or five-star hotels (+9.9%), mainly due to French customers. This rebound concerned the whole territory. The sharpest upturn was in provincial urban areas (+6.9%). However, growth in Ile-de-France (+4.5%) did not allow to return there at the level of the fourth quarter 2014. The room occupancy rate went up sharply (1.6 points year on year), after two quarters of decline.
graphiqueGraph1 – Overnight stays in hotels
- Source: INSEE, in partnership with the Regional Committees of tourism (CRT) and DGE
tableauTable2 – Average length of stay and occupancy
| Average length of stay (days) | Occupancy rate ** in % | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 2016 | 2015 | 2016 | |
| Q4 | Q4 * | Q4 | Q4 * | |
| Hotels | 1.7 | 1.7 | 53.3 | 54.9 |
| HOSSA | 3.5 | 3.5 | 50.8 | 52.4 |
| Campsites | /// | /// | /// | /// |
| bare pitches | /// | /// | /// | /// |
| pitches with rental accommodation | /// | /// | /// | /// |
- * provisional data - /// data not available in Q4
- ** The occupancy rate is calculated for hotels in rooms, in pitches for campsites and in lodging units (rooms, apartments, dormitories) for holliday and other short-stay accommodation
- Source: INSEE, in partnership with the Regional Committees of tourism (CRT) and DGE
Occupancy in holiday and other short-stay accomodation increased modestly
The overnight stays in holiday and other short-stay accomodation (HOSSA) recovered slightly in the fourth quarter (+0.7%), after one year of steady decline. The number of customers in tourism residences started to rise again. However, tourists shied away from the other accomodations, especially holiday villages. In HOSSA, unlike hotels, the number of foreign customers rose more than that of French customers, especially in the urban area. The occupancy rate of HOSSA increased (+1.6 points year-on-year, to 52.4%), in a context of a declining number of rooms offered.
graphiqueGraph2 – Overnight stays in HOSSA
- Source: INSEE, in partnership with the Regional Committees of tourism (CRT) and DGE
graphiqueGraph3 – Overnight stays in campsites
- Source: INSEE, in partnership with the Regional Committees of tourism (CRT) and DGE
Sharp increase of occupancy in November and December in hotels
After recovering slightly in October compared to the same month of the previous year, occupancy picked up sharply in November, both in hotels and HOSSA. In December, this increase continued in hotels, but stopped in HOSSA, affected by lack of snow at ski resorts.
tableauTable1 – Overnight stays in Q4 2016 *
| Nights of the quarter | Year-on-year (%) (Q/Q-4) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total nights (millions) | % of foreign nights | Total | Foreign | French | |
| Total | 56.3 | 29.0 | 3.9 | 2.9 | 4.3 |
| Hotels | 43.3 | 31.6 | 4.9 | 3.0 | 5.7 |
| Unclassified | 3.9 | 22.0 | –0.5 | 1.1 | –1.0 |
| 1 and 2 stars | 12.3 | 20.5 | 3.9 | 8.0 | 2.9 |
| 3 stars | 15.9 | 31.5 | 3.7 | –1.2 | 6.1 |
| 4 and 5 stars | 11.1 | 47.4 | 9.9 | 5.3 | 14.4 |
| hotel chain | 23.5 | 31.2 | 5.4 | 3.1 | 6.6 |
| independent hotel | 19.8 | 32.0 | 4.2 | 3.0 | 4.8 |
| Agglo. of Paris | 15.4 | 52.0 | 4.5 | 3.3 | 5.8 |
| coastlines | 6.0 | 23.1 | 4.9 | –0.5 | 6.7 |
| mountain | 4.5 | 20.5 | 1.0 | 2.6 | 0.6 |
| other urban area | 14.9 | 19.9 | 6.9 | 5.1 | 7.3 |
| other rural area | 2.5 | 16.1 | 2.7 | –2.9 | 3.8 |
| Holiday and other short-stay accomodation | 13.0 | 20.5 | 0.7 | 2.0 | 0.4 |
| Tourism residences | 11.1 | 22.2 | 3.4 | 3.1 | 3.4 |
| Holiday villages | 1.5 | 7.4 | –12.4 | –17.7 | –12.0 |
| Other | 0.5 | 21.2 | –10.3 | 3.9 | –13.4 |
| Agglo. of Paris | 2.0 | 42.4 | 5.4 | 18.2 | –2.3 |
| coastlines | 3.0 | 14.2 | –4.5 | 13.2 | –6.9 |
| mountain | 2.9 | 17.5 | –13.3 | –30.5 | –8.5 |
| other urban area | 3.1 | 19.3 | 8.1 | 16.9 | 6.2 |
| other rural area | 2.0 | 13.7 | 21.1 | 2.2 | 24.8 |
- Reference area : Metropolitan France
- * provisional data - /// data not available in Q4
- Data not available for campsites, questioning concerns only the months of May to September
- Source: INSEE, in partnership with the Regional Committees of tourism (CRT) and DGE
Revisions
Compared to the previous publication, the overall variation in the number of overnight stays in Q3 2016 is unchanged. The decrease has been lowered by 0.2 points in HOSSA (−3.6% instead of −3.4%). It is unchanged for hotels (−4.1% in Q3) and for campsites.
Additionnal data
The additionnal historical data downloadable on the INSEE website makes it possible to assess the year 2016 on the scope of this publication.
Furthermore, a study on tourist activity in 2016, including a first evaluation of the activity of internet platforms will be published soon in the Insee Analyses collection.
Pour en savoir plus
Time series: Tourism
