In France, the 2026 season will once again provide an opportunity to implement the National Barometer of Open-Air Hospitality, jointly developed by the FNHPA, ADN Tourisme and Atout France. For this valuable tool to deliver its full potential in terms of reliable feedback on campsite occupancy across France, it is essential that as many campsites as possible take part in data collection. It is free of charge, automated, anonymous and does not involve the collection of any financial information. There is therefore no reason not to participate.
For the fifth consecutive year, the FNHPA, in partnership with ADN Tourisme and Atout France, is inviting campsites to take part in the National Barometer of Open-Air Hospitality in order to benefit, in real time, from reliable indicators on booking trends and campsite occupancy. To ensure that these insights are robust at national, regional and departmental level, it is imperative that participation is as broad as possible. Without a sufficient number of contributors, analyses cannot be broken down to the most local level – yet this level of detail is particularly valuable for tourism professionals.
For campsites, participation is straightforward. France Tourisme Observation (FTO) collects booking data directly via campsite PMS (property management system) software. Any campsite wishing to contribute to the observatory can register, regardless of which PMS it uses. All campsites are already pre-identified on the France Tourisme Observation platform through the Atout France classification database. Registration at www.barometrehpa.fr is all that is required to enable the collection of relevant data, which does not include any financial or accounting information. It is also worth noting that the platform guarantees the anonymisation of data transferred via booking systems. Participation in the barometer remains free of charge, and registration takes only a few seconds.
Valuable data in return
In exchange for their participation, campsite managers receive, free of charge and on a weekly basis, data on bookings, overnight stays and average length of stay, broken down by pitch type (touring pitches and rental accommodation) at departmental or regional level. The same applies to the origin of guests (by country). As the season progresses, campsites can therefore benchmark their performance against the average for their “territory” and determine whether they are in line with the market, ahead of it or behind it — and, where necessary, consider appropriate commercial action.
However, it must be emphasised that the effectiveness of the scheme depends on the participation of as many campsites as possible, irrespective of star rating or number of pitches. Last year, 1,400 campsites were registered on the platform and will be automatically renewed. While this figure is satisfactory for national-level data, it proved insufficient in certain areas to generate meaningful local insights.
Departments such as Dordogne, Hérault and Loire-Atlantique, as well as the regions of Hauts-de-France and Normandy, lacked sufficient registered campsites. This is particularly regrettable for such major tourism and camping destinations. To ensure that all professionals can benefit from reliable data, take part in large numbers – register today. Information and registration: www.barometrehpa.fr.
This article was originally published by Bruno Lacroix on L’Officiel des Terrains de Camping.
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