Overnight stays up 5%: May is a great month for tourism in Aveyron

Les touristes sont sortis de leur coquille au mois de mai en Aveyron. Centre Presse – PHILIPPE HENRY

La fréquentation a repris de belles couleurs malgré la météo capricieuse.

"La pluie du matin n’arrête pas le pèlerin." This saying suits tourism in Aveyron perfectly. This is what emerges from the assessment established since the start of the year by the Departmental Agency for Attractiveness and Tourism (Adat). Despite the numerous precipitations, the first five months of the year saw higher tourist numbers than last year during the same period.

On the downside, the Easter holidays (-13.6% attendance compared to 2023) where tourists skipped ahead to take advantage of the May bridges. The Ascension long weekend established a peak in attendance with nearly 70,000 overnight stays, followed by Pentecost with 50,000 overnight stays. In summary, 70% of tourism professionals considered their activity satisfactory in the month of May, which falls under the month of April.

Good image

The tourist clientele remains predominantly French, coming from neighboring departments with the exception of Paris (ranked 4th) which is logically explained by the numerous Aveyron residents living in the capital. Note the third place in this ranking, from the Bouches-du-Rhône department. In terms of foreign customers, again no change, neighboring countries come out on top (Netherlands, Germany, United Kingdom, Belgium, Spain). The group clientele represents a satisfaction with 72% of tourism professionals who believe they are better in 2024 compared to last year.

80% French clientele

The increase in tourist nights since the start of the year is 5% (3,416,914) compared to the same period in 2023 (3,255,754). For the month of May alone this increase amounts to 7% (1,114,699) compared to May 2023 (1,030,927). Note that 70% of tourism professionals consider their activity higher or equivalent in May 2024 compared to May 2023. Customer question, 80% are of French nationality, estimated higher in May 2024 compared to May 2023 for 63% of foreign customers at the same period. 53% of tourism professionals believe they are encouraging reservations for the month of July, 64% for the month of August. Finally, the last very encouraging result for Aveyron tourism: the average customer rating is 8.8 out of 10 in May (average rating recorded from 5,122 customer reviews).

Tourists favor the activities offered in the department at 80%, ahead of holiday villages at 77% and visiting sites at 72%. Aveyron maintains a good image in the eyes of tourists with more than 90% positive reviews. Customers highlight the quality of the services offered by the department, the warm welcome of Aveyron residents and the beauty of the landscapes. Among the comments noted: "A warm welcome, generous cuisine, a very pleasant terrace, we will come back!" Or: "Very warm welcome, already visited several times and never disappointed, the meal is excellent."

Encouraging prospects

The departmental tourism agency estimates that the level of reservations is encouraging for the summer months, in particular for campsites and rental accommodation. "Tourism professionals in Aveyron, however, note a slight delay compared to previous years and expect last minute reservations. They also note a clientele that is more attentive to the budget allocated to vacations."

Indeed, according to the Europ Assistance holiday barometer carried out by Ipsos, nearly one in two French people believe that inflation and the decline in the power of vacations are a major problem. purchase will impact their travel plans. To this must be added professionals in the catering sector who are once again deploring recruitment difficulties. The summer season remains dependent on inflation and the weather. Another crucial fact that requires adaptation, reservations are increasingly made at the last minute.
 

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