From April to October, tourist attendance remains unchanged compared to 2023

La fréquentation touristique est la même que l'année dernière.

In the middle of the summer season, Midi Libre wanted to take stock of tourist numbers in the Béziers urban area. We contacted the director of the Béziers Méditerranée tourist office, Jean Muller, to take stock.

What can we say about tourist numbers compared to the year 2023 ?

Overall, tourist attendance for this year 2024 is similar to the previous year, despite a slight drop. We have been working for two years with our partner G2A, which provides us with reliable data. They are connected to the reservation centers of peer-to-peer platforms, campsites and hotels. At the beginning of July, we noted a drop in tourist activity linked to the announcement of the dissolution of the National Assembly. People delayed their vacation departures to vote at home. It is difficult to say whether the national event of the Olympic Games played a role in the figures. As a reminder, 2022 and 2023 had also been good tourist seasons. From April to October 2024, attendance will be similar to that of 2023.

Campsites are more popular with tourists?

Indeed, since 2023, we have observed a higher occupancy rate for campsites than for hotels and other tourist residences. In campsites, customers find everything they need, accommodation, food, activities. They hardly need to leave, everything is on site. In the hotel industry, reservations are usually made at the last minute.

On the coast and in the city center, is tourism different ?

On the coast, we can talk about popular tourism. Once the accommodation is settled, people no longer have money for activities, every day. The clientele is sensitive to the cost of living. The problem linked to the decline in purchasing power has not changed for years, and inflation is still there even if holidays are pretexts for spending. In the city center, people's consumption will be less diffuse and more concentrated. For example, they will spend a lot on restaurants and less on leisure activities.

Is the city center less crowded in summer ?

The attendance rate remains the same as last year. We have a weather-sensitive territory. Walking times fluctuate depending on the weather. We see more people in the morning and evening. Of all the tourists, half are foreign (German, Dutch, Swiss) and the other half are French.

Are the events of the tourist office well followed ?

Our workshops are less frequented than in 2023, but it is not catastrophic. People are less present at cultural sites. Many stay in campsites or at the beach. It is up to us to be proactive in attracting them. This is what we do by posting documentation everywhere about our activities. We organize more than 50 events per year in the Béziers urban area and 150 guided tours. In July, we counted 30,000 spectators at the Son et Lumière at the Madeleine church. We note a good attendance of Tuesdays of Valras, Thursdays of Béziers, jazz and theater evenings at the Maison des Orpellières, cinema evenings and bull-pool at the arenas of Béziers. We work in partnership with the different tourist actors and we promote all the initiatives of the different municipalities.

For more information: www.beziers-mediterranee.com

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