Here we are in mid-August, with those returning from vacation and those who are still enjoying it a little. The season has been completely turned upside down by the Covid-19 epidemic. Very few foreigners have visited France and a majority of French people have chosen to stay in France. If it will be necessary to wait until the end of the summer to have precise figures on tourist attendance, certain trends are already emerging for this very particular summer.
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The coasts have the coast
Many French people have gone to the seaside this summer, it's a box full of Cap-Ferret in Arcachon, but also in Biarritz or Saint-Jean-de-Luz. A good season also for Brittany.
The French conquer green spaces
But what is particularly striking this year is that many French people have rediscovered their vast regions: it is a very good year for example for Doux, Jura, Aveyron or Lozère. The Loire a Vélo recorded a 30% increase in attendance this summer.
Auvergne also attracted a lot more people than usual: 12% more than last year at the beginning of August, with attendance up 53% at the Sancy cable car in Mont-Dore, according to the director general of the Luc Stelly tourist office. "It's an exceptional year, with unprecedented attendance from July 14. Some providers have broken records. There are a lot of people on the hiking trails," he explains. "We were forced to re-publish certain welcome brochures which present the territory so many requests have been made. It is very important for the tourist economy of Auvergne," he says.
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Big cities at half mast
On the other hand, it is about a catastrophic year for the hotel industry in the big cities. Paris shows a drop in attendance of 76%, 68% for Strasbourg. Bordeaux also suffers from the absence of cruise ships.