Purchasing power, attendance, accommodation: discover the 2024 tourism figures around Sète

Les baigneurs ont pu profiter du littoral jusque tard dans la saison. Midi Libre – JEAN-MICHEL MART

Une météo capricieuse, une situation politique instable et des comportements qui changent : à Sète et sur le bassin de Thau, la saison touristique 2024 a été particulièrement contrastée.

“Ambivalent”: this is the language element chosen by the Sète tourist office to describe the tourist season that is coming to an end. At a press conference on Tuesday, October 8, the organization unveiled the 2024 report and presented the main areas for developing tourism in the area. “We are back to the same level of attendance as in 2019, or even a little more”, said Tiphaine Collet, director of the tourist office.

Since January 1, nearly 8.4 million overnight stays have been recorded in the Thau basin. A figure almost identical to that of 2023, which is distinguished, however, by a more dynamic start to the year (+3%). “It is the result of work aimed at better distributing attendance throughout the year, said the director, who stressed the importance for the region “of being attractive in all seasons in order to develop responsible tourism and avoid congestion”.

A French and international clientele

Constituting 70% of the overnight stays recorded, the French clientele remains by far the most represented on the singular island, according to figures from the tourist office. And it is tourists from Rhone who are the most numerous, followed by those from Isère and Haute-Garonne. Parisians, for their part, come in 5th place in the ranking. On the foreign clientele, the organization notes “a beginning of recognition [of the territory] ’internationally", which is embodied by an increase in German and Swiss tourists, respectively first and second in the ranking, followed by the Dutch.

Gloomy spring, difficult July and peak in August

To summarize, we could say that this past season followed an upward curve. If spring was gloomy, both in terms of weather and purchasing power, and not very conducive to tourist activity with the notable exception of Escale à Sète, it is especially the month of July that is considered particularly difficult by professionals in the sector. Thus, only 40% of them believe that their activity was the same or increased compared to the previous year.

In its analysis, the tourist office sees this as the combined effect of the early legislative elections, the absence of a bank holiday on July 14 and the enthusiasm for the Olympic Games, a televised event. The month of August lived up to expectations with a seasonal peak reached on the 14th, when 137,000 tourists were present in the territory, the equivalent of the permanent population of the Thau basin. Some natural sites were also particularly popular, such as the Bois des Aresquiers, which saw 92,000 walkers this year. Finally, the late season and September in particular seem to have smiled on the sector, since 77% of stakeholders say they are satisfied with the activity and are confidently approaching the next autumn holidays.

Evolution of behaviour

When put together, the attendance figures show a stable line compared to 2023, but they hide a great disparity in tourist behaviour. "This reflects the general evolution of society and impacts the activities and habits of professionals", according to the tourist office. Specifically, these are the "excursionists", i.e. visitors from outside Hérault who have come to discover the region from their main residence, who are marking time. For the 2024 season, their number stood at 6.5 million, a decrease of 5%. In terms of accommodation, seasonal rentals are the most popular with tourists, with an increase of 9.2 points for the July-August period. Holiday villages and campsites are also doing well, recording a substantial increase.

“These accommodation choices have consequences for restaurants, leisure activities and shops, the study highlights. The possibility of preparing one's own meals, of taking advantage of the activities offered by campsites and holiday villages does not encourage tourists to discover the destination and spend money outside." Hence the need for the profession to adapt, sometimes even if it means disrupting some habits.

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