Short-stay tourist accommodation in 2018 Robust growth driven by non-resident guests

In 2018, occupation in short-stay tourist accommodation in metropolitan France increased by 2.2%, equal to 9 million additional overnight stays. This set a new record, despite a number of public protests during the year. All accommodation types saw an increase in occupancy. However, unlike in the previous year, the increase was driven primarily by non-resident guests.

The number of overnight stays at hotels by non-residents increased sharply by 7.6% in 2018, driven by tourists from the US and Japan, while the level of occupancy by domestic residents fell.

The moderate increase in occupancy at campsites is also solely attributable to non-resident guests (up 2.5%) from Germany and the UK in particular. Occupancy rates for domestic residents were largely unchanged.

At other short-stay tourist accommodation locations, the number of overnight stays increased for both non-residents and domestic residents.

While increases in hotel tourism attendance were particularly notable in the Île-de-France region, almost all regions saw increases – albeit less marked – in overnight stays. Only Nouvelle Aquitaine and Bourgogne-Franche-Comté saw tourism attendance fall.