While the health crisis seems to have faded in the four corners of the world, providing months of respite favorable for the resumption of tourism, France does not seem to have lost its supremacy and continues to attract many travelers. French and foreign holidaymakers flock to France this spring and this trend will continue throughout the summer.
While tourists were initially wary of going abroad, it seems that Europeans are indeed choosing France as their holiday destination. In fact, despite a slower and later recovery in long-haul markets, various European markets are turning their attention back to France, as are the French themselves, who continue to prioritize domestic tourism.
To measure these travel intentions, ADN Tourisme has joined forces with Atout France to compile a French and international client holiday wish list for spring 2022. Travel seems to be the order of the day, given the number of French people who plan to make multiple trips between April and June, over 70% overall. This desire is heightened by the many opportunities to get away from everything, including Easter weekends, spring break, Ascension, and the Whitsun holidays.
Overall, over the three months, these respondents intended to spend 2.2 times and nearly 10.6 days away from home. In terms of accommodation, 29% of respondents planned to stay in hotels, 23% with relatives or friends, 16% in furnished accommodation, and 9% in camping. While coastal and rural destinations have been as popular as ever, the urban environment has regained some of its flavors, with a quarter of travelers planning to spend this spring there. However, the interest of the French in holidays abroad has grown from 5% to 11%.
In the studied European and long-distance markets, i.e. in the UK, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Spain, and the US, vacation intentions for the next 6 months are up 15-20 points from last year. And international travel is back in high demand, with travel planned over the next 3 months. France is in a relatively good position as the number one international travel destination in Europe for American, Belgian, Italian, and Spanish clients.
The overall image of France is very positive in Europe and the US. In particular, British clients seem to be returning to France, as evidenced by the good performance seen in mountain resorts in the first quarter of 2022. As far as obstacles to a planned holiday in France are concerned, the current geopolitical context is at the top of the list of concerns expressed by various European markets. The economic variable associated with the current high inflation is already ranked 2nd among the concerns expressed, while the recovery of the epidemic is falling into 3rd place.
While 20% of French people do not want to take a holiday before the summer period, especially due to financial constraints, 71% of them already had summer vacation plans in March 2022, compared to 72% in May 2021. France remains an attractive destination even as more people go on holiday this year than in 2020 and 2021. However, 68% say their budget will be cut due to inflation, and 42% are waiting to see how the Ukrainian conflict develops before booking tickets.