Coastal tourism

Tourism is defined by the World Tourism Organisation as "all activities of people who travel and stay in places outside their usual environment not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes". The term of "activity" herein means all kinds of individual business.

All tourism travellers are called "visitors". There are two categories of visitors: "tourists", who stay one night or more (and not more than one year) outside their usual environment; and "excursionists" who do not stay a night outside their ususal environment.

In France, summer stays in seaside resorts are the main mode of French tourist consumption. The tourist offer comprises the different types of commercial accommodation and a range of B to C services such as restaurants, cafés and travel agencies.

1. Provisional estimations before the publication, forseen for 2012, of the revised Tourism Accounts for several recent years.
2. Estimation based on coastal share of total tourist consumption. The coastal share is valued by the past Tourism Accounts and estimated for 2008 and 2009.
3. Average value added rate: Ifremer estimation based on by-sector breakdown of tourist spending and by-sector value added rates.
4. Revised data. Estimation depending on coastal share of tourist consumption. Salaried manpower in full time equivalents in the tourist-specific activities.
Sources: Tourism Accounts, Tourism Key Figures, Employment data from the UNEDIC Unemployment benefits agency

Comments

The Tourism Accounts are being revised in compliance with the international standards adopted in 2008 by the United Nations Statistical Commission.

International background

  • As regards trends in the activity, several European countries including France receive important numbers of international visitors.
  • China is taking up importance and plays a considerable role. In 2010, it became the third inbound market in terms of arrivals before Spain, and number 4 in terms of tourist spending before Italy.
  • The US remained by far the world number 1 destination in terms of receipts.
  • Germany remained the largest outbound tourism generator in terms of spending, just before the US.
  • In terms of arrivals, France was the first destination mainly because it is a transit country. At world scale however, a downward trend in total arrivals for transit is observed, mainly because of the increasing share of air transport in international passenger traffic (source: UNWTO).

Tourist arrivals per main destination countries (million visitors)12

1. 2010: estimates
2. China: not including Hong Kong and Macao
Source: World Tourism Organization

International tourism receipts per main destination country (billion US dollars)12

1. 2010: estimates
2. China: not including Hong Kong and Macao
Source: World Tourism Organization

International tourism expenditure per main outbound tourism generating country (billion US dollars)1

1. Estimates
Source: World Tourism Organization

Regional breakdown

In terms of number of night in 2009, PACA was by far the most important coastal tourism destination in France. However, in many coastal regions the number of nights is not only due to coastal tourism but also possibly to urban, countryside or mountain tourism.

Hotels in metropolitan France: number of nights in 2009 per coastal region

Source: Tourism Ministry

Key figures for the pleasure boating sector in France

2010 data if not otherwise specified.

1. 2009 figure
2. Some crafts sail at sea and on inland waterways
Sources: FIN French boat building and nautical industry association, Transport Ministry