Il 2024 si è chiuso tra luci ed ombre per il turismo francese. Il totale dei pernottamenti nelle strutture ricettive collettive (hotel, campeggi, residenze turistiche, ostelli, villaggi) è calato del 2,2% rispetto al 2023, con una flessione più contenuta nei campeggi (-0,35%), che si confermano ancora una volta il segmento più resiliente in un contesto generale non brillante. È questo, in sintesi, il bilancio tracciato da Nicolas Dayot, presidente della Fédération Nationale de l’Hôtellerie de Plein Air (FNHPA), durante la conferenza stampa che si è tenuta ieri mattina a Parigi, a cui Camping Business era presente.
The year 2024 ended with mixed results for French tourism. The total number of overnight stays in collective accommodation facilities (hotels, campsites, tourist residences, hostels, holiday villages) dropped by 2.2% compared to 2023, with a smaller decline recorded in campsites (-0.35%), which once again proved to be the most resilient segment in an otherwise lackluster context. This is the assessment shared by Nicolas Dayot, president of the Fédération Nationale de l’Hôtellerie de Plein Air (FNHPA), during a press conference held yesterday morning in Paris, which Camping Business attended.
It was, therefore, a year of contrasts, salvaged by an excellent month of August but overall penalized by unfavorable weather conditions and an uncertain economic and social environment, which also led to reduced investments. Even the Olympic Games failed to deliver the hoped-for results in terms of tourist numbers.
On this occasion, the president also raised an alarm about the loss of competitiveness at the European level: 2024 was the year Italy overtook France. “Today, France is the third European destination with 451 million overnight stays in 2024, behind Spain (around 500 million) and Italy (approximately 458.4 million), and closely followed by Germany, which recorded 441 million overnight stays last year,” said Dayot. In addition to these discouraging figures, the outdoor holiday sector is facing other challenges, such as the closure of small campsites – an ongoing trend – and climate change, which increasingly requires urgent measures to protect facilities exposed to sudden and intense natural events.
On the actions needed to reverse the trend, Nicolas Dayot strongly emphasized the need to simplify the current legal framework to allow campsites to renovate, upgrade, and – in extreme cases – relocate when the original site is threatened by phenomena such as flooding, land instability, or coastal erosion: “We are asking the government for simpler regulatory measures so that campsites can invest in modernizing and adapting to climate change. For example, by changing just two digits in a regulation, we could allow for more stilted accommodations in campsites, which are flood-resistant. These are requests that cost the State nothing: remove useless rules, rewrite complicated ones, review classifications and urban planning authorizations. Our goal is to prepare for the future, act now so we don’t lose more campsites over the next 10, 20, 30 years”.
European clientele growing in French campsites
Looking more closely at the 2024 report prepared by the FNHPA, a key data point is the increasing presence of foreign tourists in French campsites. Their numbers continue to grow, now accounting for 30% of total stays in outdoor accommodations. From May to August 2024, foreign tourists recorded 36.4 million overnight stays, a 4.6% increase over the previous year. The main visitors came from the Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, and the United Kingdom.
Coastal areas remain the most popular destinations, although they experienced a slight decline of 1% compared to the previous season. In these regions, two out of three tourists choose camping as their lodging option (about 66.2 million overnight stays were recorded from May to August). The most significant declines were seen in campsites in Brittany (-5.7%), Pays de la Loire (-3.5%), and Normandy (-2%). In contrast, Hauts-de-France, where substantial investments have been made in improving facilities (e.g., construction of heated indoor pools and slides), bucked the trend with a 2.7% increase in overnight stays. Corsica leads the ranking of fastest-growing regions, with a 10% increase likely driven by more favorable weather, while mountain destinations continue to prove attractive.
From the perspective of accommodation types, there is a growing preference for mobile homes and bungalows(+2% between May and August 2024, though this was +3.5% in 2023), to the detriment of traditional pitches, which saw a slight decline (-1%, compared to a +2.5% rise in 2023). Despite the decrease, pitches still represent 42% of all overnight stays and remain the most in-demand solution, especially in today’s context of economic uncertainty for families.
High-end campsites are also on the rise: 4- and 5–star campsites recorded a +1.4% increase between July and September (with 63.6 million overnight stays, representing 61% of the total). In contrast, 1- and 2-star campsites fell by 8.7%, and 3-star ones by 2.7%. Conversely, interest in non-classified campsites – which are often more nature-focused and offer unique or alternative experiences – continues to grow, with a +10.8% increase.
A promising 2025 season
As for 2025, early projections are positive, with bookings up by 1% compared to 2024, an encouraging sign, especially in light of the upcoming Easter holidays. This growth is driven by both domestic and international clients, though the pace varies by destination: campsites in the Mediterranean area report a slight increase in bookings, while the Atlantic coast is slightly behind. Average spending also seems set to decrease, with travelers favoring 3-star campsites and pitches – an indication of ongoing price sensitivity.
On this point, Nicolas Dayot reiterated how important it is for the camping sector to remain economically accessible: “The goal must be to allow everyone to go on holiday. Targeting elite tourism would mean excluding a large part of the population. Instead, we need to support families – the main users of campsites – by ensuring an adequate level of services while keeping prices affordable”. A survey conducted by Ifop and commissioned by the FNHPA once again confirms that the key strength of outdoor hospitality lies in offering the best value for money.
Another positive sign for France is the growing interest shown by both domestic and international investors in the sector, which currently has an annual turnover of €4 billion and sees around €1 billion in annual investments. According to Dayot, the presence of investors is certainly a positive factor that helps strengthen and improve the offering, thus enhancing the competitiveness of France as a destination.
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