May got off to an auspicious start with a bank holiday on the first weekend of the month, which was particularly busy for a large number of destinations, including the northern seaboards. However, over the month as a whole, occupancy levels remained broadly similar to those recorded last year, with a very slight decline of -0.3 points.
Entry-level hotels still struggling
Tendances France Mai 2025 par Hospitality ON
This decline is due in particular to occupancy rates in the entry-level segments, which are once again in the red after improving the previous month. The low-cost segment saw occupancy levels fall by 2 points, while the budget segment saw occupancy levels fall by 0.8 points.
Conversely, the midscale and upscale segments followed the same positive trend as in April, with increases of 0.6 and 2.2 points respectively. While the slowdown in the construction and public works sector continues to weigh on the economy, the arrival of more international tourists is driving growth in the midscale and upscale segments.
According to data provided by Atout France, the balance of international tourism totalled more than €4.1 billion, an increase of 25.4% over one year. Local customers continue to be the driving force behind this positive trend, particularly Germans (+25%), Dutch (+24%) and Spanish (+15%).
However, the trend in fares is reversed, with the average daily rate rising by 2.4% nationally. Once again, the upscale segment is leading this indicator, with an increase of 3.7%, while the low-cost segment is still suffering a slight fall due to disappointing occupancy levels (-0.8%).
Unsurprisingly, low-cost hotels posted a 3.8% drop in RevPAR, while upscale hotels performed well this month, with RevPAR up 6.7%.
Strong regional disparities
Tendances Régions mai 2025 par Hospitality ON
The club of regions showing an increase in occupancy this month…
