The accommodation sector, combined with the restaurant sector, generates a turnover of several billion euros each year in France. Hotels and campgrounds are the two most significant types of accommodation in this sector, both in terms of the number of establishments and the number of overnight stays. Traditional forms of accommodation are nevertheless increasingly being challenged by new players from the collaborative economy, such as Airbnb. Reinvention and offering authentic experiences to customers is now crucial to face the growing market challenges in the years to come.
Furthermore, tourists are demanding when it comes to their accommodation needs. Many of them pay attention to the comments published on the Internet, which play a key role in the decision-making process. It is therefore not surprising that mobile applications in the tourism and hospitality sector are among those with the highest number of online reviews.
2020 was a landmark year for the industry, regardless of the nature of the accommodation. The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic led to a significant drop in the French hospitality sector because of the requirement for most accommodation facilities to be closed for several weeks or months. Moreover, severe restrictions on international travel and tourism also meant that international tourists became scarcer in 2020.
After more than a year of the pandemic, French travelers were asked about the type of accommodation they would choose for their summer vacations in 2021. The survey revealed that nearly 40 percent planned to book a vacation rental, and 37 percent planned to stay with friends or family. Apart from staying with loved ones, individual accommodation options were seen as an appropriate alternative given the current pandemic situation.
