Insee Focus · May 2021 · n° 235

2020 Tourism Report Fall in attendance in 2020, rebound in the summer, especially in campgrounds

During the year 2020, overnight stays in hotels fell by 50 percent. Since March, many establishments closed; one hotel over five remained open in April only. Effectively, overnight stays collapsed in all collective tourist accommodation.

Attendance picked up during summer in hotels, campgrounds and other accommodations, reaching three-quarters of its summer 2019 level. Summer attendance at campsites even reached 84% of its summer 2019 level, benefiting from the arrival of residents who gave up going abroad and the attractiveness of individual outdoor accommodations.

Urban areas did not enjoy the same attractiveness during the summer. The Île-de-France region, in particular, continued to suffer from the disaffection of foreign customers in high-end Parisian hotels, but also from the drop in business customers.