- French hotels recorded 92m overnight stays between May and August 2026
- 1.7pc increase representing 1.6m more nights
- Strongest summer performance since 2019
- Domestic travellers drove entire increase
- Coastal hotels saw 4.0pc increase while major cities dropped 3.9pc
French hotels recorded 92m overnight stays between May and August 2026, marking a 1.7pc increase compared to 2025. This represents 1.6m more nights according to Insee data. The result marks the strongest summer performance since 2019.
Domestic travellers in France drove the entire increase, adding 1.2m hotel nights, up 2.3pc. Coastal hotels saw a 4.0pc increase in stays, while major cities dropped by 3.9pc across all accommodation types, losing 7.7pc of international visitors. International visitors accounted for about 40pc of all hotel nights. Visitors from Germany rose 3.9pc and Belgium increased 3.1pc, while travellers from the United States grew only 0.8pc and Spanish visitors dropped 8.5pc.
Across all collective tourist accommodations including campsites and holiday residences, total footfall reached 260.5m nights, up 1.1pc, representing a 15-year high. The data reflects shifting tourism patterns in France. Coastal areas particularly the Channel and North Sea coasts gained ground while major cities saw declines.
