france tourism recovery

Perspectives on travel recovery: France

In France, the domestic market has been the most resilient during the COVID-19 pandemic. Impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, the French tourism market has dropped by nearly 60% between 2019 and 2020, and it is not expected to return to its pre-crisis level until 2024 (close to European average).

In terms of value, the market has lost more than half of its value in one year and more than 700 000 direct jobs have been affected. Domestic expenditures have been the most resilient, even though this has declined by nearly 50%: it is the business segment that has been most affected, and at this stage do not expect it return to its pre-crisis level until 2027 (2024 for the leisure segment).

Outbound expenditures (i.e. French traveling abroad) dropped by approximately 70% between 2019 and 2020 (the business segment suffered the most with a drop in expenditures of about 80%). However, France is in the top 3 in terms of total outbound spend (22 value in USD bn) only behind Germany and UK.

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Perspective on travel recovery

Saturday, April 27, 2024 3:38 am (Paris)

In France, tourism renews itself post-pandemic

In 2022, the French tourism industry revealed preferences for more local and outdoor activities, while international travelers returned even as hotel prices sharply increased.

By  Jessica Gourdon

Time to 3 min.

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After two years of pandemic that turned the sector upside down, French tourism returned to normal in 2022. The recovery was confirmed, even though the main statistics observed at the national level (number of visitors, hotel room occupancy rate, number of passengers in airports, etc.) remain lower than those observed in 2019. Revenue from tourism is estimated to have reached €50 billion in 2022.

Among the big winners of the year were campsites. During the summer, they reached a record attendance (up 7.5% compared to 2019), amid a desire for nature revitalized by the lockdowns, and the necessities imposed by tighter budgets. Local tourism is also improving. The "open-air hotel industry" is also attracting a new clientele as it goes upmarket, with more and more brick-and-mortar accommodations, and ever more colossal swimming pools.

Amusement parks, another form of local tourism, were also a hit throughout the year. In the Paris region, Aventure Floréval and Winnoland have seen visitor numbers increase by 27% and 29% respectively compared to 2019, according to the regional tourism committee (CRT). Southwest of Paris, the pandas of the Beauval Zoo have never been observed by so many people. The site and its hotels welcomed 2 million visitors in 2022 (up 25% compared to 2019).

International customers

The leisure parks belonging to the Compagnie des Alpes (Parc Astérix, Futuroscope, etc.) also recorded an exceptional performance with 10 million visitors – 6% more than before the pandemic. The Compagnie des Alpes noted that even though ticket prices had increased significantly, tourists were still spending more than usual during their visit (in hotels, stores, restaurants, etc.)

Conversely, the main Parisian tourist sites became less crowded in 2022, particularly due to the absence of Asian customers. The Louvre Museum counted 20% fewer visitors compared to 2019. Versailles sold 17% fewer tickets. With one third fewer pilgrims than before the pandemic, Lourdes is breathing easy. But in the city, many hotel establishments are struggling.

Nationally, hotel occupancy rates have not returned to their 2019 levels (down 4.4 points, according to the annual review by the consultancy MKG). It must be said that room prices have increased significantly (14 % since 2019), faster than inflation. Luxury hotels hold the prize for the highest rate increases (a rise of 23%), driven by a clientele that isn't very price sensitive. In this sector, revenue per room has soared. New projects are proliferating.

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Destination France Plan: Investing €1.9 billion

Destination France Plan, consolidating France's position as a leading destination

This Saturday, during a visit to Amboise, the Prime Minister, accompanied by ministers Alain Griset and Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne, unveiled the Destination France plan, a plan to relaunch and transform tourism for which Atout France will be strongly mobilized. This follows the Destination France summit held on Tuesday, November 4, 2021 which was chaired by French President Emmanuel Macron.

Last June, in Saint-Cirq Lapopie, the President of the Republic announced the need to provide France with a recovery plan to revitalize French tourism as it emerges from the crisis. Indeed, while the crisis has seriously impacted the sector, it has also accentuated and highlighted the structural challenges it must face while simultaneously accelerating certain trends.

With the Destination France Plan, which has a budget of 1.9 billion euros, the French Government intends to set an actual road map for the development and transformation of the tourism sector over the next 10 years. The goal is to consolidate France's position as the world's leading tourism destination and to become the leading destination for sustainable travel, by making French tourism a sector that promotes excellence, growth and employment, based on a more qualitative, sustainable and resilient model, in line with the new expectations of French and international clients, particularly in terms of ecological transition.

Destination France's ambitions are based on 20 measures in five strategic areas :

1 - Conquering and regaining talent

In order to improve the attractiveness of the professions, particularly in the hospitality and transportation sectors, large-scale communication campaigns will be carried out over 2 year period (€10 million—about $11.25 million), a "tourism professions week" for youth will be organized and a network of schools of excellence in tourism will be identified.

2 - Strengthen the resilience of the sector and support the increase in quality of supply

Structural investments must ensure an upward trend in the quality of the offer, particularly in the area of accommodations and restauration. State provisions for long-term loans will be strengthened. In addition, a new France Tourism Development program, to be managed by Atout France and the Banque des Territoires, with a budget of €2.5m (approx. $2.8 million), will be launched to support the revitalization of the centers of medium-sized cities through the renovation, transformation and preservation of independent hospitality establishments. This program will be supplemented by a €60m (approx. $6.8 million) targeted Banque des territoires investment program. A budget of €100 million (approx. 112.65 million) is also allotted to support the revival of MICE events. The deployment of France Tourisme Observation, a platform managed by Atout France, will make it possible to organize and analyze tourism data for a better in depth understanding of the sector. A public reinsurance mechanism will be set up to secure the market with financial guarantees for travel and tourism operators. Lastly, measures will also be taken to make travel accessible for all.

3 - Promoting and developing French tourism assets

France has major natural and cultural tourist assets, which will be further developed and enhanced thanks to a dedicated budget of €51 million (approx. $58.5 million). Accelerated investment in the preservation of terrestrial and maritime biodiversity will help to reduce the pressure on these ressources. To support the revival of regional cultural tourism that will be more widely shared, the Council of Europe's cultural routes will also be better promoted, as will "savoir-faire" tourism. The engineering support system will be strengthened by €55 million (approx. $61.9) to assist in the development of tourism in the regions, managed by Atout France and the National Agency for Territorial Cohesion.

4 - Responding to the sector's transformation challenges

The Destination France plan aims to make France the number one destination for sustainable tourism by 2030 (and the number one destination for bicycle tourism). The Sustainable Tourism Fund set up as part of France Relance (France Recovery) will be strengthened in order to provide tangible support to stakeholders in the emergence of a respectful offer, with a greater emphasis on slow tourism. The new classification system for accommodations, managed by Atout France and applicable in April 2022, will include, in addition to more stringent quality criteria, more standards to measure sustainability and environmental imperatives. Tools for managing the ecological footprint will be made available to professionals. A specific investment of €44 million (approx. $49.5) will also be deployed to improve and develop sustainable tourism infrastructures such as cycling paths.

Also, in order to support the digital transition of tourism players, a "Tourism Tech" plan will be launched by Bpifrance, Atout France and Business France to support the development of start-ups in the sector, particularly through testing zones, and to encourage the emergence of French "unicorns." Finally, specific support for the digital transition of very small and small and medium sized businesses will be implemented.

5 - Promoting France as a destination and consolidating its market share

In order to ensure that the destination rebounds and to face international competition, a vast consumer, press and trade communication and promotion plan for France will be implemented by Atout France through 2024. The press and and trade will also be offered virtual learning possibilities. This plan will have a budget of €20 million (approx. $22.5 million) to reaffirm France's place as a benchmark destination. The Destination France summit will be continued and organized annually.

In addition, the major international sports events that France will host in the coming years will be opportunities to enhance the attractiveness of France as a destination and optimize the economic benefits. Atout France will promote these events among international tourism stakeholders and will participate in the implementation of training initiatives for taxis and accommodation providers in host destinations to improve the welcome of international visitors in host cities.

France leads tourism recovery in Europe

New research from the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) reveals France’s travel and tourism sector’s recovery could achieve a growth of 34.9% this year. At the recently organised Destination France Summit, WTTC said the sector’s growth this year is set to soar ahead of Europe’s overall recovery at 23.9% and the global recovery at 30.7%. In 2019, the country’s travel and tourism sector’s contribution to GDP represented EUR 211 billion (8.5% of the national economy). In 2020, when the pandemic brought international travel to a grinding halt, the contribution of the travel and tourism sector fell to just EUR 108 billion (4.7% of the national economy).

However, according to the latest research, at the current rate of recovery, the sector can expect a year on year growth of almost 35%, representing an increase of EUR 38 billion. The data also reveals that the country could see a year on year increase of 21.8% in 2022, contributing a further boost to the economy of EUR 32 billion.

The global tourism body says that whilst a rise in domestic travel has provided some relief to the nation, it is not enough to achieve the full recovery needed to salvage its economy and the millions of jobs lost due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The research goes on to show that while domestic spending is set to increase by 56.6% year on year in 2021, international spending could decrease 1.9% this year.

However, while domestic spending is set to rise once again, with a year on year growth of 9.9%, international spending is expected to rebound 67.8% next year, in turn providing a massive boost to both jobs and employment. In terms of employment, the French tourism sector supported almost 2.7 million jobs before the pandemic struck.

After suffering a loss of almost 200,000 jobs last year, the research shows that employment is set to remain stagnant in 2021. However, again the outlook is more positive next year with an expected rise of 9.4%, providing an additional 236,000 jobs across the country.

WTTC President & CEO, Julia Simpson said: “Our latest research shows that France’s travel sector is beginning to recover faster than its neighbours although there is still a long way to go. Last year the pandemic saw hundreds of thousands of jobs lost in France. This year employment remains flat, but we expect to see a big uptick in Travel & Tourism in France next year as long as the country remains open to vaccinated travellers.”

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France’s tourism could surpass pre-pandemic levels in 2023

World Travel and Tourism Council

The forecast from WTTC’s latest Economic Impact Report (EIR) shows the sector’s contribution to GDP could reach more than €216 billion by next year.

Employment within the sector could also exceed 2019 levels, creating almost 90,000 additional jobs, representing nearly 2.8 million by the end of next year.

According to the global Tourism body’s latest data, Travel & Tourism’s GDP is expected to grow at an average of 2.8% annually over the next decade, more than twice the 1.3% growth rate of the country’s overall economy, to reach nearly €264 billion (9% of the total economy).

The forecast also reveals the Travel & Tourism sector in France, is expected to create more than 385,000 jobs in the next 10 years, averaging over 38,000 new jobs every year, reaching more than three million employed within the sector by 2032.

Additionally, by the end of this year, the sector’s contribution to GDP is expected to grow 24.3% to more than €200 billion, amounting to 7.8% of the total economic GDP, while employment in the sector is set to grow at a slower rate at 3.1%, to reach nearly 2.7 million jobs.

Julia Simpson, WTTC President & CEO, said: “France is the world’s most popular destination, the backbone to the European Travel & Tourism sector. The pandemic really hit the French economy when international travel came to a standstill.

“Throughout the pandemic, President Macron and his government recognised the importance of our sector and has shown total commitment to the recovery.

“WTTC data offers a positive outlook, showing a clear recovery of both the economic contribution from Travel & Tourism and jobs, which will provide a strong boost to businesses across the country.”

Before the pandemic, France’s Travel & Tourism total contribution to GDP was 8.4% (€211.9 billion) in 2019, falling to just 5% (€114.9 billion) in 2020, representing a staggering 45.8% loss.

The sector also supported nearly 2.7 million jobs, before an almost complete halt to international travel which resulted in a loss of 255,000 (9.5%), to reach just over 2.4 million in 2020.

WTTC’s latest EIR report also reveals that 2021 saw the beginning of the recovery for the country’s Travel & Tourism sector.

Last year, its contribution to GDP climbed 40.6% year on year, to reach €161.5 billion.

However, the recovery of jobs was slower with just 170,000 Travel & Tourism jobs created, to reach 2.6 million.

The sector’s contribution to the economy and employment could have been higher if it weren’t for the impact of the Omicron variant, which led to the recovery faltering around the world, with many countries reinstating severe travel restrictions.

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France’s recovery and resilience plan

Following the unprecedented crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, France’s recovery and resilience plan has responded to the urgent need to foster a strong recovery , while making France’s economy and society more resilient and future ready . In response to the energy market disruption caused by Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the Commission launched the REPowerEU Plan . The Recovery and Resilience Facility is at the heart of its implementation and its funding. Under REPowerEU, EU countries are updating their recovery and resilience plans with new measures to save energy and diversify the EU’s energy supplies..

RRF FUNDED PROJECTS IN FRANCE

Legend description, green transition.

Focusing on green technologies and capacities - sustainable mobility, energy efficiency and renewables, climate change adaptation; circular economy; and biodiversity.

Policies for the next generation

Improving access to and the quality of general, vocational, and higher education; focusing on digital education, early childhood education and care; supporting youth employment.

Smart, sustainable, inclusive growth

promoting entrepreneurship, competitiveness, industrialisation; improving the business environment; fostering research, development and innovation, supporting small- and medium-sized businesses.

Digital transformation

Promoting the roll-out of very high-capacity networks, the digitalisation of public services, government processes, and businesses, in particular SMEs; developing basic and advanced digital skills; supporting digital-related R&D and the deployment of advanced technologies.

Social and territorial cohesion

Improving social and territorial infrastructure and services, including social protection and welfare systems, the inclusion of disadvantaged groups; supporting employment and skills development; creating high-quality, stable jobs.

Health and economic, social and institutional resilience

Improving the resilience, accessibility and quality of health and long-term care, including measures to advance their digitalisation; increasing the effectiveness of public administration systems.

The map exclusively serves information purposes and is not an exhaustive database of projects supported by the Recovery and Resilience Facility. It does not reflect the distribution of the projects funded by the Recovery and Resilience Facility across the European Union, nor across different geographical areas or sectors within EU Member States. The RRF funding amounts shown for measures are based on the initial cost estimates included in the recovery and resilience plans.

Furthermore, the projects showcased are without prejudice to any future assessment by the Commission in the context of verifying the satisfactory fulfilment of milestones and targets under Regulation (EU) 2021/241 establishing the Recovery and Resilience Facility.

WHAT’S IN THE PLAN?

Country snapshot.

The country snapshot illustrates some of the most iconic and impactful projects included in the French Recovery and Resilience Plan that will bring positive change for EU citizens, businesses and the EU at large.

The reforms and investments in France’s plan are helping it become more sustainable, resilient and  better prepared for the challenges and opportunities offered by the green and digital transitions . Following Council approval of France’s plan on 13 July 2021, France’s recovery and resilience plan was updated on 14 July 2023 also to introduce reforms and investments that address REPowerEU objectives.

*The plan is entirely financed by RRF grants ** This value includes the transfer from the Brexit adjustment reserve requested by France and France’s REPowerEU grant.

• 73 investment streams and 24 reforms
• 49.5%  of the plan will support  climate objectives 
• 21.6%  of the plan will foster the  digital transition .    

The transformative impact of France’s plan is the result of a strong combination of reforms and investment which address the country’s specific challenges. The reforms address bottlenecks to lasting and sustainable growth while investments are targeted to accelerate the transition towards more sustainable, low-carbon and climate-resilient economy, to support the digital transformation of all economic actors including public authorities, and to make the French economy more resilient thanks to investments in the health sector and skills, from higher education and lifelong learning.

All measures have to be implemented  within a tight time frame , as the Regulation establishing the Recovery and Resilience Facility requires all milestones and targets within the national plans to be completed by August 2026 .

REPowerEU measures in France’s plan

France’s plan now includes three reforms and four investments to reduce its reliance on fossil fuels, in line with one of the REPowerEU Plan's objectives.

To finance this increased ambition, France has asked for a share of its Brexit Adjustment Reserve to be transferred to the plan, amounting to €504 million . These funds would be added to France's REPowerEU grant of €2.3 billion .

Key measures for REPowerEU

The REPowerEU measures include a reform which will accelerate the deployment of renewable energy projects through streamlined permitting procedures, reduce France’s energy consumption with the “ energy efficiency plan ” and increase the coherence and coordination of public policies in the field of ecological transition with the creation of the General Secretariat for ecological planning.

The investments fully contribute to reducing the reliance on fossil fuels, by increasing energy efficiency in buildings with greater emphasis on deep renovation, and by supporting hydrogen projects and decarbonising the industrial sector.

Example project: Law on the acceleration of renewable energy production

The objective of this reform is to speed-up the uptake of renewable energies in France, in order to achieve energy transition objectives and ensure energy security of supply. Several provisions of the Law aim at solving the main bottlenecks that currently hinder the deployment of renewable energy: it shall in particular facilitate the granting of permits and define “acceleration zones” conducive to the rapid development of projects, in particular for wind power, solar (including thermal, photovoltaic and agrivoltaic) and methanization.

In the area of climate and environmental policies, France needs to accelerate its ecological transition in order to meet its 2030 targets, in particular in view of the increased ambition of the “Fit for 55” package. The transport and buildings sectors are the bigger emitters of greenhouse gas emissions and massive investments are necessary in the  thermal renovation of building  and in the transport sector in order to  green the vehicle fleet  and to support the  modal shift towards rail  transport.

Key measures for the green transition

• in building renovation  ( €7.7 billion) , 
• sustainable transport ( €4.4 billion in the modernisation of railway network),
• the decarbonisation of industrial processes ( €0.6 billion) .
• It also features significant investments in R&D and innovation in the field of green technologies such as hydrogen ( €1.7 billion to low carbon and renewable hydrogen) .
• The “ Climate and Resilience Law ” is an overarching reform that will tackle the ways of consuming, producing & working, moving, living and therefore contribute to the current 40% national target in terms of reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.

The modified plan, including the REPowerEU chapter, has further strengthened the focus on the plan on the green transition, devoting 49.5% of the available funds to measures that  support   climate objectives (up from 46% in the original plan).

The Pavillon Gréard was inaugurated in 1925 and is the oldest building of the Cité Internationale Universitaire de Paris.

Digital transition

France ranked 15th in the Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI) in 2021. Challenges remain in the areas of  connectivity and coverage of fast broadband networks , and in the  appropriation of digital technologies by the private sector  (especially SMEs). France is still far behind the front runners in terms of  digital skills .

Key measures for the digital transition

• €8.7 billion, or 21.6% of the French plan, will be devoted to the digital transition.
• France will invest €1.8 billion in developing and deploying key digital technologies, such as cybersecurity, quantum and cloud.
• the support to businesses by helping them make the most of digital technologies ( €385 million) ,
• the digitalisation of primary and secondary schools through digital equipment ( €131 million) ,
• the further digitalization of public services.
• €240 million will be invested in high speed broadband across the territory aiming to provide access to very high speed networks for all households (100% fibre-to-home) by 2025.

The modified plan has further strengthened the focus on the plan on the digital transition, devoting 21.6% of the available funds to measures that  support   digital objectives (up from 21% in the original plan).

The Recovery and Resilience Facility is financing 100% (i.e. EUR 250 million) of the effort to train and hire 4,000 additional digital advisers for the general public.

Economic and social resilience

Key challenges for France include inefficiencies in the research and innovation ecosystem, inequalities in educational outcomes, high unemployment including for youth, and skills mismatches, that weigh on competitiveness and productivity growth. The pandemic has highlighted inefficiencies and strong regional disparities in the French health system and the level of public debt remains very high.

Key measures in reinforcing economic and social resilience

• The plan reinforces economic and social resilience with measures to foster jobs and training for young people (€ 4.6 billion) and a more inclusive education system .
• The plan will support apprenticeships , hiring subsidies, or places in boarding schools, and reinforce the resources of the public employment services .
• Improving the governance of hospitals , investing in e-health and renovating medical centres and residential care homes for elderly people will improve access to a higher quality care (€2.5 billion) .
• The reform of the governance of public finances is expected to improve the quality and efficiency of public spending, allowing to prioritise growth and environmental friendly expenditure.

The Recovery and Resilience Facility is financing 84% of the hiring subsidies for young people below 26 (i.e. EUR 803 million).

ANNUAL EVENTS

The 2023 Annual Event on France’s recovery and resilience plan took place on 24 October 2023.

The discussions focussed on the implementation of France’s recovery and resilience plan, in particular the reforms and investments that support citizens and companies in the energy transition. Officials from the Commission and the French administration exchanged with beneficiaries and representatives of the organised civil society on the solutions supported by the French plan in the areas of energy renovation, clean transport and decarbonisation of industry.

• Participants included the European Commission, the General Secretariat in charge of European Affairs, representatives of the French administration and a broad range of stakeholders, including social partners, NGOs, and academics.

More information about the event can be found here

• The 2022 Annual Event on France’s recovery and resilience plan took place on 27 September 2022.
• The discussions focussed on the implementation of France’s recovery and resilience plan in the areas of the green and digital transitions and social resilience and the challenges identified in the European Semester processs.

EUROPEAN SEMESTER

France’s plan is consistent with the challenges and priorities identified in the European Semester, the annual cycle of coordination and monitoring of each EU country’s economic policies. For a detailed explanation of the European Semester see the following link:  The European Semester explained | European Commission (europa.eu)

National recovery and resilience website

Original Recovery and Resilience Plan (July 2021)

National recovery and resilience plan – submission 2021

Updated Recovery and Resilience Plan (July 2023)

National recovery and resilience plan – update April 2023

Assessment of the recovery and resilience plan

Council Implementing Decision on the approval of the assessment of the recovery and resilience plan of France and Annex

Commission Staff Working Document: Analysis of the recovery and resilience plan of France

Press Material

Press release: "European Commission endorses France's plan"

Factsheet: France’s recovery and resilience plan

Questions and answers: European Commission endorses France's plan

Further Information

Presentation to the Council of France’s recovery and resilience plan

Summary of the Commission’s assessment of the French recovery and resilience plan

Council Implementing Decision amending the approval of the assessment of the recovery and resilience plan for France and Annex

Commission Staff Working Document: Analysis of the recovery and resilience plan of France amending the approval of the assessment of the recovery and resilience plan

Press release: European Commission endorses France's €40.3 billion modified recovery and resilience plan, including a REPowerEU chapter

Operational Arrangements

Operational Arrangements between the Commission and France

Pre-financing

Press release: "European Commission disburses €5.1 billion in pre-financing to France"

Daily News: La Commission verse des préfinancements REPowerEU à l'Estonie, à la France, à Malte, à la Slovaquie et à la Slovénie au titre de la facilité pour la reprise et la résilience

First Payment Request

Preliminary assessment of the first payment request for France

Commission implementing Decision on the authorisation of the first disbursement to France

Press release: European Commission endorses positive preliminary assessment of France’s first payment request

Questions and Answers on France's first payment request

Daily news: Commission disburses first payment to France

Second Payment Request

Preliminary assessment of the second payment request for France

Commission implementing Decision on the authorisation of the second disbursement to France

Press release: European Commission endorses positive preliminary assessment of France’s second payment request

Daily News: La Commission verse un deuxième versement de 10,3 milliards d'euros à la France au titre de la facilité pour la reprise et la résilience

European Semester

European Semester documents for France

Implementation

Recovery and Resilience Scoreboard

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Tourism recovering, but not back to pre-pandemic levels

Paris (AFP) – Global tourism is roaring back to life despite Covid travel headaches and the effects of the war in Ukraine, but it has yet to return to its pre-pandemic health.

Issued on: 12/05/2022 - 09:56 Modified: 12/05/2022 - 09:55

International tourist arrivals worldwide have more than doubled, up 130 percent in January 2022 on the same period last year, according to the latest UN World Tourism Organization figures.

Travellers are regaining confidence, and Europe and the Americas are leading the resurgence.

Worldwide, there have been 18 million additional visitors, the UNWTO said, "equivalent to the total increase recorded over the whole of 2021".

In 2019, global tourism revenues reached $1.48 trillion. That figure dropped by almost two thirds due to the pandemic the following year.

While January confirms the recovery trend that began in 2021, the UNWTO highlighted how the Omicron Covid variant recently put the brakes on the rise. International arrivals in January 2022 were still 67 percent lower than before the pandemic.

Most regions have seen travellers return and rebound from the low levels of early 2021, with Europe faring three times better and the Americas twice as well.

That's still some way off pre-pandemic numbers, but Larry Cuculic, general manager of the Best Western hotel company, is optimistic.

"I travelled earlier this week and I can tell you that the airports, the international terminals in the US are very crowded and there is a demand or an interest in travelling to Europe, because for several years we couldn't do that," he told AFP.

"We miss going to Paris, Rome and Berlin."

The Middle East is also experiencing a boom, with arrivals up 89 percent on 2021, and so is Africa, with numbers up 51 percent -- but these two regions are still very far from their 2019 totals, according to the UNWTO.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the number of travellers is falling in the Asia-Pacific region, where several destinations remain closed. In January, international tourist arrivals were down 93 percent from pre-pandemic levels.

Travel by Chinese tourists, the world's biggest spenders before the pandemic, is also severely affected by China's zero-Covid policy.

According to travel analyst ForwardKeys, the second quarter of 2022 still looks "more promising for international travel in the world than the first quarter".

The Caribbean and South America are drawing tourists looking for sea and sunshine in the northern hemisphere summer. Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Aruba and Jamaica are among the 20 most popular destinations, even exceeding pre-pandemic levels.

In Europe, tourists are flocking to France, Spain, Portugal, Greece and Iceland, but not in the same numbers as before Covid.

The French exception

France is doing well enough, though. In February, international tourism revenues in the country "came close to those of 2019", according to France's tourism minister Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne.

At 2.7 billion euros ($2.8 billion), revenues were up 1.5 billion compared to last year and down eight percent compared to 2019, he told reporters.

In 2019, before the pandemic, the tourism sector in France represented 7.4 percent of GDP and 9.5 percent of jobs.

According to Lemoyne, France is "very well positioned" as the "number one destination for travel in Europe for Americans, Belgians, Italians and Spaniards".

The French, for their part, are "a European exception", the minister said, pointing out that 60 percent plan to stay in their own country over the holidays.

"With a domestic base that will remain very strong and the return of international customers, this means that we are in for a summer season that can be very, very dynamic," he said.

But Didier Arino, director of the Protourisme consultancy, warned there could be trouble ahead.

"It is not the market that is going to be problematic, it is the cost of production of tourist stays, competitiveness, the suitability between the prices of products and purchasing power," he said.

"The players are all increasing their prices, and right now it is going well because people want to enjoy themselves. But we are reaching the limit of what is acceptable for many customers."

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How quickly is tourism recovering from COVID-19?

The pandemic helped fuel a decline in tourism globally. Image:  Unsplash/Markus Spiske

.chakra .wef-1c7l3mo{-webkit-transition:all 0.15s ease-out;transition:all 0.15s ease-out;cursor:pointer;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;outline:none;color:inherit;}.chakra .wef-1c7l3mo:hover,.chakra .wef-1c7l3mo[data-hover]{-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;}.chakra .wef-1c7l3mo:focus,.chakra .wef-1c7l3mo[data-focus]{box-shadow:0 0 0 3px rgba(168,203,251,0.5);} Victoria Masterson

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Stay up to date:, travel and tourism.

• Tourists spent an extra 1.8 billion nights in the European Union in 2021 compared with the year before.
• But this is still almost 40% lower than pre-pandemic levels, according to EU statistics.
• Tourism is an important sector for the world economy, and is expected to continue recovering gradually in 2022.
• However, there are still risks – including Russia's invasion of Ukraine and COVID-19 variants.

Tourism was hit particularly hard by the pandemic, as lockdowns restricted people to travelling around their homes and neighbourhoods rather than around the world. But there are now signs that tourist numbers are starting to recover as limitations on movement are eased.

There was a 27% rise in nights spent at EU tourist accommodation in 2021 , according to Eurostat, the statistical office of the EU. This took the total to 1.8 billion, although this was still 37% less than in 2019, before COVID-19.

The first global pandemic in more than 100 years, COVID-19 has spread throughout the world at an unprecedented speed. At the time of writing, 4.5 million cases have been confirmed and more than 300,000 people have died due to the virus.

As countries seek to recover, some of the more long-term economic, business, environmental, societal and technological challenges and opportunities are just beginning to become visible.

To help all stakeholders – communities, governments, businesses and individuals understand the emerging risks and follow-on effects generated by the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, the World Economic Forum, in collaboration with Marsh and McLennan and Zurich Insurance Group, has launched its COVID-19 Risks Outlook: A Preliminary Mapping and its Implications - a companion for decision-makers, building on the Forum’s annual Global Risks Report.

Companies are invited to join the Forum’s work to help manage the identified emerging risks of COVID-19 across industries to shape a better future. Read the full COVID-19 Risks Outlook: A Preliminary Mapping and its Implications report here , and our impact story with further information.

Where tourists went

Greece, Spain and Croatia saw the biggest rises in visitors last year, with the number of nights spent at tourist accommodation jumping by more than 70%. Trips to Austria, Latvia and Slovakia fell, but by less than 18%.

“This shows signs of recovery in the tourism sector,” Eurostat says.

However, when 2021 tourist night numbers are compared with 2019, it shows some countries lost more than half their bookings. Latvia, Slovakia, Malta and Hungary were the worst hit.

Denmark and the Netherlands, on the other hand, were the least affected countries. They saw drops of less than 20% in nights spent in tourist accommodation.

Eurostat says the figures are “far less dramatic” than the contrast between 2019 and 2020, when tourism in the EU halved .

Tourism supports jobs

More than 2 million businesses – mostly small and medium-sized companies – make up the EU’s tourism industry , according to the European Parliament.

These firms employ an estimated 12.3 million people, but worker numbers increase to 27.3 million when related sectors are taken into account.

Across the EU in 2018, travel and tourism made up about 4% of GDP – the total value of products and services produced in a country – or 10% if closely related sectors are taken into account.

Three-quarters of these tourism businesses operated in either accommodation or serving food and drink. Italy, France, Spain and Germany were home to 55% of the EU’s tourism firms in 2018.

Have you read?

This is how the covid-19 crisis has affected international tourism, we urgently need to kickstart tourism’s recovery but crisis offers an opportunity to rethink it, a new era of sustainable travel prepares for take-off, global growth and risks.

Tourism is the world’s third-biggest export sector , according to the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), a special United Nations agency.

Because of COVID-19, tourism lost out on around $1 trillion of export revenues in 2021, UNWTO estimates. It predicts that the tourism industry will recover gradually in 2022 .

International tourist arrivals globally grew 130% in January 2022, UNWTO says. And this was despite the Omicron variant of COVID-19 slowing down the speed of the recovery.

The war in Ukraine also poses a new risk to the global tourism industry – by potentially disrupting the return of confidence to travel, UNWTO says.

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License and Republishing

World Economic Forum articles may be republished in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International Public License, and in accordance with our Terms of Use.

The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone and not the World Economic Forum.

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09.09.2021. News

Atout France re-joins European Travel Commission with Europe’s tourism recovery underway

• Atout France has joined ETC as a full member to collaborate on the renewal and revival of European tourism
• ETC is proud to welcome the France Tourism Development Agency on board to share best practice and work together for all Europeans

As European destinations have been welcoming back travellers over recent weeks, the European Travel Commission (ETC), the association uniting the National Tourism Organisations of 32 European countries, has welcomed the France Tourism Development Agency, Atout France, back as a full member with the shared ambition to work together to further support the competitiveness of Europe as the world’s leading tourist destination.

With ETC working tirelessly over the past months to build on the strong pent-up demand for travel to Europe and boost the sustainable recovery of the sector, Atout France’s membership will allow both parties to pool their resources to further support the attractiveness of Europe for those planning to travel once again. As well as this, Atout France’s membership will foster the sharing of best practices, market intelligence and in designing new promotional activities to further build the value of tourism in Europe.

Atout France’s membership of ETC comes at an exciting time for France as Paris officially became the proud host city of the next iteration of the Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2024, and as France will in the meantime also host Rugby 2023 and the FIS Alpine World Ski Championship. In a welcome move in line with many of ETC’s objectives of promoting sustainable tourism in European destinations, Paris 2024 will demonstrate creativity and inclusivity in terms of venues, favouring not only the capital cities traditional sports venues but also its beautiful landmarks, as well as cities in other parts of France. As preparations begin, ETC and Atout France plan to work closely together to promote France and its destinations, champion global French destination brands, and support the development of regions around the country.

ETC’s membership will also support strategic objectives of Atout France such as encouraging European coordination to accelerate the recovery, promoting and supporting progress towards more sustainable, resilient, innovative and digital tourism, developing access to data and insights. Atout France’s membership also precedes by a few months the French presidency of the Council of the European Union (H1 2022) and will enhance ETC and its member NTOs voices on the path to recovery.

Speaking earlier, Caroline Leboucher, CEO of Atout France: “ Atout France is delighted to join the European Travel Commission and to have the opportunity to exchange views and best practices with national organisations from all over Europe as the path to recovery needs further coordination and harmonisation. It is extremely valuable to be able to count on this solidarity and collective mobilisation to build an ambitious recovery plan for tourism in Europe”.

It is an exciting time for ETC too, as the organisation is running a major “Open up to Europe” campaign which is co-funded by the European Union with the support of more than 30 destinations and travel brands. This joint industry campaign aims to reassure Europeans that safe and seamless travel is possible again and to provide them with clear and comprehensive information to plan their next trip. At the same time, ETC is also strengthening its ties with ITB China as a Strategic Partner in 2021, which will see ETC showcase a multitude of European destinations to those tourists from China interested in travelling to Europe once the situation allows. This is one of many ETC’s efforts to prepare for the international recovery of travel and tourism as vaccination campaigns across Europe and the world are gathering pace.

Following news of Atout France’s membership, President of ETC Luís Araújo noted: “We are delighted to welcome Atout France back on board as a full member of our organisation at a time when ETC’s role in promoting European tourism and supporting its recovery is more important than ever. A significant announcement for the European tourism sector as destinations welcome back tourists, Atout France’s membership will allow us to work together towards a brighter, stronger future for travel in Europe, for the benefit of all Europeans. Atout France joins a long, strong list of the National Tourism Organisations from across Europe, with a joint vision to strengthen the sustainable development of Europe as a tourist destination. This announcement will allow both organisations to work better on this common objective.”

Press Release

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ETC General Meeting #104

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UN Tourism | Bringing the world closer

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Tourism on Track for Full Recovery as New Data Shows Strong Start to 2023

• All Regions

International tourism is well on its way to returning to pre-pandemic levels, with twice as many people travelling during the first quarter of 2023 than in the same period of 2022.

New Data from UNWTO: What We've Learned

The second UNWTO World Tourism Barometer of the year shows that the sector's swift recovery has continued into 2023. It shows that:

• Overall, international arrivals reached 80% of pre-pandemic levels in the first quarter of 2023
• An estimated 235 million tourists travelled internationally in the first three months, more than double the same period of 2022.
• Tourism has continued to show its resilience. Revised data for 2022 shows over 960 million tourists travelling internationally last year, meaning two-thirds (66%) of pre-pandemic numbers were recovered.

Recovery by Region in Q1 2023:

• The Middle East saw the strongest performance as the only region exceeding 2019 arrivals (+15%) and the first to recover pre-pandemic numbers in a full quarter.
• Europe reached 90% of pre-pandemic levels, driven by strong intra-regional demand.
• Africa reached 88% and the Americas about 85% of 2019 levels
• Asia and the Pacific accelerated its recovery with  54% of pre-pandemic levels, but this upward trend is set to accelerate now that most destinations, particularly China , have re-opened.

In many places, we are close to or even above pre-pandemic levels of arrivals

The UNWTO data also analyses recovery by sub-region and by destination: Southern Mediterranean Europe and North Africa have also recovered pre-pandemic levels in Q1 2023, while Western Europe, Northern Europe, Central America and the Caribbean all came close to reaching those levels.

What it Means:

UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili says: "The start of the year has shown again tourism's unique ability to bounce back. In many places, we are close to or even above pre-pandemic levels of arrivals. However, we must remain alert to challenges ranging from geopolitical insecurity, staffing shortages, and the potential impact of the cost-of-living crisis on tourism, and we must ensure tourism's return delivers on its responsibilities as a solution to the climate emergency and as a driver of inclusive development."

International tourism receipts grew back to hit the USD1 trillion mark in 2022, growing 50% in real terms compared to 2021, driven by the important rebound in international travel. International visitor spending reached 64% of pre-pandemic levels (-36% compared to 2019, measured in real terms). By regions, Europe enjoyed the best results in 2022 with nearly USD 550 billion in tourism receipts (EUR 520 billion), or 87% of pre-pandemic levels. Africa recovered 75% of its pre-pandemic receipts, the Middle East 70% and the Americas 68%. Due to prolonged border shutdowns, Asian destinations earned about 28%.

International tourism receipts: Percentage of 2019 levels recovered in 2022(%) *

International tourist arrivals: percentage of 2019 levels recovered in q1 2023 (%)*, looking ahead: what's in store.

The Q1 2023 results are in line with UNWTO's forward-looking scenarios for the year which project international arrivals to recover 80% to 95% of pre-pandemic levels. UNWTO's Panel of Experts expressed their confidence in a strong peak season (May-August) in the Northern Hemisphere, reflected in the latest UNWTO Confidence Index which indicates performance for the period is on track to be even better than 2022.

However, tourism's recovery also faces some challenges .  According to the UNWTO Panel of Experts, the economic situation remains the main factor weighing on the effective recovery of international tourism in 2023, with high inflation and rising oil prices translating into higher transport and accommodations costs.  As a result, tourists are expected to increasingly seek value for money and travel closer to home. Uncertainty derived from the Russian aggression against Ukraine and other mounting geopolitical tensions, also continue to represent downside risks.

International Tourist Arrivals, World and Regions

Related links.

• Download the News Release in PDF
• UNWTO World Tourism Barometer - EXCERPT Volume 21 • Issue 2 • May 2023
• World Tourism Barometer (PPT version)
• The UNWTO Tourism Data Dashboard
• UNWTO World Tourism Barometer

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Related content, international tourism to reach pre-pandemic levels in 2024, international tourism to end 2023 close to 90% of pre-p..., tourism’s importance for growth highlighted in world ec..., international tourism swiftly overcoming pandemic downturn.

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According to WTTC, More Than 70,000 Vacancies in Travel & Tourism Threaten France’s Economic Recovery

According to WTTC, more than 70,000 vacancies in Travel & Tourism threaten France’s economic recovery Aviation to be the one of the worst hit industries across the sector WTTC provides measures for addressing the staff shortages in the sector

London, UK: A new study by the World Travel & Tourism Council ( WTTC ) has revealed the recovery of France’s Travel & Tourism is at risk as more than 70,000 jobs remain unfilled across the country. The research looked into labour shortages across France and other major Travel & Tourism destinations, such as the U.S., Italy, Spain, the UK and Portugal. According to the global tourism body, the supply of labour could fail to match the increased travel demand across the sector, which is estimated to be near pre-pandemic levels by the third quarter of 2022. The data shows France is expected to see a shortfall of 71,000 jobs, with one in 19 vacancies left unfilled this year. In 2019, before the pandemic, more than 1.3 million people were employed by Travel & Tourism in France. But by 2020, nearly 175,000* had lost their jobs. France saw the beginning of the recovery in 2021, with a 40.6% growth to the sector’s contribution to the national economy. However, staff shortages have been prevalent in the country, with thousands of vacancies that remain unfilled, putting the sector under pressure. WTTC analysis shows France’s aviation is expected to be one of the worst affected, struggling to find candidates for nearly one in three (38%) job postings, while travel agencies could also face one third (39%) of staff shortages. Julia Simpson, WTTC President & CEO said: “The sector needs more staff to meet the current demand. The widespread travel disruption being experienced by millions of French holidaymakers is clear evidence of this. “If these 71,000 jobs remain unfilled, they could threaten the revival of Travel & Tourism businesses up and down the country, which have struggled for more than two years from the impact of the pandemic.” Last week WTTC revealed that up to 1.2 million jobs across the EU will remain unfulfilled, with hospitality, aviation, and travel agencies being the most affected. Some of the key measures identified in the report for both governments and the private sector to address the talent gap are: 1.    Facilitate labour mobility across international borders, with more favourable visa policies  2.    Enable flexible and remote working where feasible – allowing part time or contractor-based opportunities, where possible 3.    Ensure decent work and competitive employee benefits and compensation packages 4.     Attract talent by improving the perception of jobs and promoting viable career paths with growth opportunities 5.     Develop and support a skilled workforce through comprehensive educational programs, as well as upskilling and reskilling current talent 6.    Adopt innovative technological and digital solutions to alleviate pressure on staff, improve daily operations and provide an enhanced customer experience. The global tourism body believes by implementing these measures, Travel & Tourism businesses will be able to attract more workers. This in turn would enable the sector to meet the ever-growing consumer demand and further speed up its recovery, which is the backbone to generating economic well-being across the country.

Notes to editor: * Refers to total DIRECT employment  

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France’s Travel & Tourism Could Surpass Pre-pandemic Levels in 2023

WTTC Reveal Paris as the World’s Most Powerful City Destination

France to Keep Its Crown as Most Popular Destination for International Visitors, Reveals WTTC

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France Relance recovery plan: building the France of 2030

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In order to address the economic consequences of COVID-19, on 3 September 2020 the French government set out its “France Relance” recovery plan.

This is a massive €100 billion investment plan representing the equivalent of one third of the annual state budget, with €40 billion provided by the European Union in order to support businesses, rethink production models, transform infrastructure and invest in training. France was the leading European country in terms of foreign direct investment attractiveness in 2019 and this plan will further bolster its competitiveness and help support its openness to foreign investors.

Emmanuel Macron, President of the French Republic

The plan has three main themes: ecology, competitiveness and cohesion.

France has an ambitious objective: to become Europe’s first major decarbonized economy by achieving carbon neutrality by 2050. To reduce the impact of France’s economic activity on the environment, the recovery plan will significantly speed up the ecological transition and provide it with €30 billion.

France will support the thermal renovation of buildings, the decarbonization of industry, green hydrogen, cleaner transport and transformation of the agricultural sector.

• Developing green hydrogen: To be at the cutting-edge of renewable hydrogen production and low-carbon technologies, France will support projects led by companies across the country in order to encourage the emergence of French hydrogen solutions. It will set up a mechanism to support hydrogen produced by water electrolysis and will create an Important Project of Common European Interest (IPCEI) to support industrialization in France and develop demonstrators.
• Improving everyday mobility: The recovery plan will mobilize €1.2 billion to develop the use of bicycles and public transport by improving existing services.
• Support for the rail sector: Improving the quality of the rail network will help increase the supply of trains for different purposes.

The goal is to increase the supply in the less densely populated areas and better link them to urban areas, to speed up the work to improve the experience at railway stations, especially for reduced-mobility persons, and to develop the transport of goods in order to closely serve companies, logistics platforms and ports under good economic conditions.

• Biodiversity, fighting against land take and agricultural transition: France will increase its food sovereignty to meet the increased demand for local produce by shifting its agricultural model towards more resilient systems. This transformation will help restore biodiversity to territories and help fight against land take.

Competitiveness

France has chosen to upgrade its production facilities, invest heavily in future technologies (including green technologies), reduce production taxes and increase support for research, training and development of skills and existing national expertise.

These choices should enable France to regain its economic sovereignty, not as a nationalistic withdrawal but as a regained capacity for independence to serve France and Europe. The France Relance plan has allocated €34 billion to this.

• Reshoring industrial production: To ensure its economic and technological independence, France is targeting five strategic sectors for its investments: • health, • inputs (items entering production processes) essential to industry, • electronics, • the agrifood industry, • industrial 5G applications.

Certain production activities will be relocated to France, significantly reducing our companies’ carbon footprint.

• Investing in future technologies: With the Investments for the Future Programme (PIA), the State will support innovation and particularly investment in future technologies, including digital technologies, medical and health-industry research, carbon-free energies, responsible agriculture and food sovereignty, sustainable transport and mobility, and cultural and creative industries.

The goal is to make France the best country in Europe for research and entrepreneurship.

• Lower production taxes:

Production taxes inhibit the competitiveness of French companies. In France, they accounted for 3.2% of GDP in 2018, compared to an average of 1.6% across the European Union.

To make France more attractive and encourage industrial firms to set up, these taxes will be reduced by €10 billion per year from 1 January 2021.

In 2030, France will need a well-trained workforce. France Relance is thus investing heavily (€36 billion) in France’s greatest asset: its people.

To avoid widening inequalities, the recovery plan is designed in such a way as to provide better support to young and vulnerable people seeking employment across the country.

• Strengthening skills and transforming vocational training: To respond to new activities linked to the ecological transition, the circular economy and digital technology, the recovery plan will increase workforce training availability by about 400,000 people and transform vocational training systems to make France a leader in the area of digital technology and educational innovation.
• Training young people in strategic, high-growth sectors: To deal with the expected increase in young jobseekers, €1.6 billion has been allocated to increase the number of certificate-based training courses for all young people arriving on the labour market from September 2020.

A historic European recovery plan

The European Union should finance 40% of the French recovery plan. These direct subsidies will be paid to France on the basis of an investment and reform strategy which the government will present in early 2021 to its European partners and the European Commission.

European financing will be provided to support investments and reforms which have a sustainable effect on productivity, which support and speed up the ecological and digital transition and which facilitate the convergence of European economies.

For more information on France’s recovery plan

Useful links

• Business France, the national agency supporting the international development of the French economy
• Meet "La French Tech", interministerial initiative to advance the French startup ecosytem
• French Ministry of the Economy, Finances and Industry (in French)

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