The fall in revenues for the sector was 47.6% in the United Kingdom, 51.9% in Greece and 53.1% in Spain, according to the 2021 report for the hotel industry published Friday by the specialist firm MKG.

But other countries suffered even more: the hotel industry fell by 55.6% in Italy, 63.1% in Germany, 64.7% in Portugal and even 71.9% in the Netherlands, according to this source.

"Indeed, the Delta then Omicron variants raged from December and affected certain European countries, in particular Germany where the decline in hotel activity fell from -46.9% in November to -60% in December, or again the United Kingdom fell to -27% against -14.6% in November", comments MKG.

In France, on the other hand, "the impact of Omicron was later", and the sector, driven by the Christmas holidays, "continued to progress in December compared to November", completes the specialist firm.

However "the wave is coming: on the nights of January 6 to 12, 2022, the drop in revenue per room for the French hotel industry fell to -29.9% on average compared to the same period in 2019".

The year 2021 was contrasted in France, with "a first half still very marked by health restrictions then a second in marked improvement, driven by the coastal regions and the provinces from the summer, and finally a gradual increase in Paris at the very end of the year", explains MKG.

As elsewhere, the performance of the French hotel industry has “varied greatly over the months, depending on changes in the health, national and international context”.

In addition, budget hotels have proven to be more resilient than the upper ranges, deprived of international customers and trade fairs and congresses.

In the end "for the European hotel industry, the year 2021 was a year of recovery compared to 2020 and France was at the forefront of this recovery, in particular in the 2nd half which brought hope", analyzes Vanguelis Panayotis, chairman of MKG, quoted in a statement.

But "the Omicron variant, which has already impacted the hotel industry in most countries in December, will be a source of questioning for the start of 2022", he concludes.

© 2022 AFP