Rugby World Cup: 'good attendance' in hotels in match cities

Europe 1 with AFP / Photo credit: ERIC BERACASSAT / HANS LUCAS / HANS LUCAS VIA AFP 18:45 p.m., November 01, 2023

Cities that have hosted Rugby World Cup matches such as Nantes, Nice, Lyon and Saint-Etienne, have benefited from a "good attendance" of hotels and para-hotels, even if the general attendance on the whole sector has "slightly decreased" compared to the previous year, according to the Alliance France Tourisme (AFT). For example, Nice and Lyon experienced an occupancy rate of around 88% during matches (which marks an evolution of +7.2 points and +8.5 points respectively compared to the previous year at the same period).

"Peaks exceeding 95% occupancy"

In the cities that hosted the matches, there were "peaks exceeding 95% (of occupancy) on some matches", the AFT said in a report published on Wednesday. "The cities that hosted matches from England, Wales and Ireland were able to show a high occupancy rate thanks to the influx of fans from these countries," the Alliance said. The entire sector - from "super-economy" to upscale hotels - recorded an increase in performance "thanks in particular to average price increases of between 10% and 30%". On the day of some matches, this increase "reached more than 200%", notes the Alliance.

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But the occupancy rates for Paris and Saint-Denis (Seine-Saint-Denis) on match nights "are not optimal" with -4 points compared to 2022, notes AFT, without offering an explanation. From September 8 to October 28, the period in which the Rugby World Cup took place, "attendance decreased slightly compared to last year (-1.1 points for an average price up 14.4% and a turnover up 12.9%), mainly in Paris and Ile-de-France," summarizes Alliance France Tourisme. This association brings together around twenty major groups in the tourism sector (Accor, Homair, Pierre et Vacances, GL Events, etc.)