Wealthy Russian tourists stopped going on vacation to the Cote d’Azur in France, so the total income of local businesses fell sharply. The reason is Western sanctions against Russia.
According to AFP, first, the Covid-19 pandemic and now Western sanctions on Moscow over the war in Ukraine are keeping wealthy Russians away from the French Riviera, one of their favorite foreign destinations. According to the head of the local tourism committee Francois de Cansona, the coronavirus pandemic has already caused a drop in tourism from Russia in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region in France by 80%.
After Paris, the Cote d’Azur was the second most popular French destination for Russian vacationers. In addition, it is a historic place – the Russians stayed here in “luxury villas from the XIX century,” added de Canson. Although Russia does not have the largest number of tourists, in the past they could be relied on, as Russian tourists spent unprecedented amounts on their holidays.
“This is a small amount,” explained Denis Zanon, director-general of the Nice Tourist Office. “But there is a part of this market with a lot of money that lives on the coast and whose guests rent villas nearby, bringing profit to luxury hotel owners, yacht rental companies and private food suppliers.”
Employees of the French Riviera have noticed changes. Yes, the newspaper quoted a woman who worked as a private chef during the pandemic and also lost her wealthy Russian clients. They could be difficult customers, sometimes ordering caviar at the last minute, but they were also generous, she said, adding that she, like the tourist region, had to look for new solvent tourists to make up for the loss of her Russian customers. And they succeeded, because “rich people are everywhere,” said a nutritionist.
Because the European Union has blacklisted hundreds of Russian oligarchs and politicians since Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014 and after the invasion of Ukraine. The number of rich Russians willing to rest in France has decreased. Instead, the coasts and hotels there have been partially filled by ordinary Russian families living in France. Thomas de Parienti, the deputy director for tourism in Cannes, told the publication about this.
“You can still hear a Russian speech on the Croisette,” he said, referring to the city’s famous waterfront. But the new “high-impact” clientele, including from Qatar and the United States, has helped Riviera tourism recover from the opening of borders, the tour expert added.
The tourism sector attracted tourists to new destinations, including Scandinavian and Canadian tourists, even before the pandemic. Advertising campaigns have helped “limit losses”, said regional president Reno Muselie. “After the events of February 24, they engaged in these communication campaigns and made significant efforts with the United States,” de Canson added. There are currently three daily direct flights between Nice and New York. Also open flight Nice – Montreal.
According to CRT, at the end of April 2022, the number of bookings in the region increased by 21% compared to the same period in 2019. In Cannes, for example, high-class rental specialist Romain Benisch told the publication that for July-August in the 2022 season, “there is no vacant villa.”
Meanwhile, the villas, which were quickly sold by the Russians after the start of the war in Ukraine, acquired new owners almost immediately. Most of them were French, explained Nicolas Dos Passos of the Albert Immobilier agency in Cannes.
There is another sign that French resorts are seeing the rich again: yacht sites in the ports of Cannes and Marseilles are full. The information was confirmed by the manager of Liberty Yachts company Fabrice Viara. “It looks like the 2022 season will be good,” he said.