The first trends are more than positive for the outdoor accommodation industry, with a season that is off to a flying start.
A distant memory, the pandemic? It would be very optimistic to say so, especially since the health crisis still has repercussions on the behavior of travelers. But after having already resisted particularly well in 2021, the first signals seem more than encouraging for the outdoor hotel industry this year. The FNHPA (Fédération Nationale de l’Hôtellerie de Plein Air) thus notes an early start to the season, with a very good Easter weekend, marked by occupancy rates for rental accommodation in “remarkable” campsites, at 55 %.
“This positive trend has since been confirmed with high occupancy rates of 48% for spring holidays, details the FNHPA. Ascension weekend (May 26-29) shows very high levels of bookings with rental accommodation expected to be full and pitches up 10% in terms of bookings compared to the same period in 2019 “, indicates the federation. An Ascension weekend which promises to be exceptional, thus representing a “real trial run” of the high season, according to Gé Kusters, vice-president of the FNHPA.
“Short stays tend to increase, and in particular short stays of very close proximity, notes Gé Kusters, who also runs the Le Paradis campsite in the Dordogne. As proof, a fortnight ago, on my campsite, 10% of my customers were from Dordogne. That never happened before.”
Returning foreign customers
In summer, the summer high season also looks very promising, especially in July (+47% online bookings for early July compared to 2019.
Despite a halt at the start of the war in Ukraine, reservations at campsites resumed in the 15 days that followed. Good surprise also for professionals in the sector, the trough usually observed during the first days of July tends to fill up.
Even if the clientele should again this year be mainly French, the campsites are seeing a return of foreign clients, and in particular local Europeans. The profession thus expects to find in 2022 a high level of attendance on the part of the Walloons, the Germans and the Swiss, while the Italians, the Spaniards, the British and the Dutch do not yet seem to have completely resumed their pre-crisis tourist habits.
A growing season
Still establishing itself as a safe bet, the coast remains the most popular destination for tourists, with record booking levels in New Aquitaine, Occitanie, Brittany and even on the Côte d’Azur. At the same time, the success for the countryside and the mountains is confirmed. The FNHPA notes in particular a renewed attractiveness for rural areas such as the Bourgogne Franche-Comté region (+50% of reservations compared to 2020) or the Grand-Est region (+17%).
All campsite categories benefit from this dynamic, whether it is entry-level 1-star or 2-star, mid-range 3-star or 4-star and top-of-the-range 5-star campsites. It also concerns all types of accommodation, both bare pitches and rental accommodation.
The signals are also favorable on seasonal wings (April, May, June on the one hand and September, October on the other). “In line with the early start to the season, the months of September and October look promising, with booking dynamics on the rise, far exceeding 2019 levels,” notes the FNHPA. “In this context, many campsites therefore plan to remain open later than in previous years, until mid-October or even until the All Saints holidays for some. »
