Tendance du marché

☀ Sunweb, a major European tour operator, experienced unprecedented growth during the summer of 2024, despite political events like the dissolution of the National Assembly and elections, and sporting events like the Olympics in France. Their growth is shown by a 40% increase in July bookings from the previous year, accounting for 25% of annual bookings, and a 60% increase in August bookings from 2023. Sunweb aims to double its customer base next year and has already seen a surge in reservations for the Toussaint holidays and for summer 2025.

🚧 A 4.6-star hotel achieved 10 times more visibility than a 4.7-star competitor on Google. A study by doYield's director of direct sales analyzed Google My Business data for a significant sample of similar hotels, revealing an 86% correlation between the quantity of reviews and increased visibility. The average rating influenced visibility by 41% and interactions by 27%. Technical optimization of listings impacted visibility by up to 10%. Recommendations include prioritizing review quantity, maintaining high service quality, optimizing Google My Business listings, encouraging user interactions, and managing review responses.

🏕️ Olivia Grégoire, alongside Christian Mantei, Rose-Marie Abel, and Stéphane Villain, presented the 2024 summer tourism report on Tuesday, September 3. The season showed a nuanced trend with regions benefitting from the Olympics and others affected by poor weather and spending behavior changes. July saw decreased tourism, August is expected to be stable compared to 2023, and the late season looks promising. Domestic travel in France remained steady at 65% of the population during July and August, down two points from the previous year.

🏖 HomeExchange witnessed a +32% increase in home exchanges in France during the summer, with 49,655 swaps. The platform surpassed 60,000 French members and facilitated vacations for over 182,000 people, a +31% rise from last year, resulting in more than 1.3 million overnight stays. This growth underscores the popularity of home exchanges as a cost-saving accommodation option for travelers.

🏕 Pitchup, the leading outdoor accommodation booking platform in Europe, reveals 2024 trends indicating record increases in "naturist" and "luxury" search filters, with Corsica and Ile-de-France standing out. Established in France since 2009, Pitchup.com lists over 5,600 quality establishments in 67 countries and has served over 12 million vacationers from more than 178 countries. It offers diverse accommodations from tipis to caravans and boasts a user-friendly interface with advanced search features. The platform is rated 4.9/5 by the independent review system Feefo.

🏢 Léon Bressler, former head of Unibail and IEP Paris alumnus, passed away on August 29. In 1992, he capitalized on the bursting real estate bubble, acquiring key assets like Forum des Halles and Cœur Défense, making Unibail a commercial real estate leader. In early 1999, he added 165,000 sqm of office space including the Ariane, Michelet, and Galilée towers and 134,000 sqm of commercial assets such as the CNIT and Carrousel du Louvre to Unibail’s portfolio. Bressler left Unibail in 2006 to become a managing partner at Aermont Capital in London and returned to Unibail as Chairman of the Supervisory Board in 2020.

🏡 In the Hôtel & Lodge Awards 2024, jury members with diverse perspectives honored establishments for excellence and unique expertise. Notable guests included Thibaut Picard, an architect, and Christian Mas, President of Sothys Paris. The selection featured a mix of historic palaces, new-generation 5-star hotels, lodges, resorts, and lesser-known gems. The winners reflected the diverse aspirations of the French public and were chosen based on individual jury member's impressions and the "wow effect" experienced.

🏠 Dubaï saw a 9% increase in international visitors in the first half of 2024 compared to the same period in 2023, with a record 9.31 million tourists. Western Europe was the top source region, making up 20% of the visitors, while French tourist numbers rose by 11%, totaling 199,645. The previous year, 2023, also set a record with 17.15 million international visitors. The growth is attributed to the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism's efforts and collaborations.

🏕️ Maeva.com's camping segment saw a +7% growth in bookings, representing 68% of platform sales. The average stay was 7.9 nights, with seaside destinations leading reservations. Despite a challenging start to the summer season and reservation hesitancy due to various factors, camping bookings at maeva.com increased by 7 percentage points. 20% of these sales were within the Campings maeva chain. The average basket size rose slightly to €1183 (+€45 vs the previous year), with 73% of bookings, a +1 percentage point change from the previous year, opting for coastal areas like Vendée, Pyrénées-Orientales, or Var.

🏖️ Pierre & Vacances saw an occupancy rate increase to 88% during July and August, a 2-point rise from the previous year. Coastal locations led with a 93% occupancy rate (+2 pts vs. last year). The average basket value during school holidays was €1075, marking a 2% increase. French clientele dominated at 86%, with the PACA region being the most popular destination. Spanish destinations also enjoyed popularity, with a 91% occupancy rate, up 4 points from the last year. Despite a challenging start to the summer season, August bookings surged, recording a 91% occupancy rate (+3 pts vs last year).