Every summer, they descend on our beaches, towns and villages. Each summer ? No. From now on, tourism in Paca is experienced throughout the year with an astonishing balance: a quarter of stay for each season even if, in terms of number of nights, summer still takes the lead with 35% of the overall annual volume.
This is one of the conclusions of a vast study carried out among 40,000 people and commissioned by the region almost three years ago. This study, on which the region intends to rely in the years to come to refine its tourism strategy, proposes a focus on the 10.6 million international tourists who represent 29% of visitors but account for 45% of the economic impact (7 .6 billion euros). What country do they come from? For how long ? Or ? With what budget? For what carbon footprint? At what time of year? In short, who are these tourists that the world envies? And who are the best students? 20 minutes make the point.
The Germans in force, the Americans full of cash
They wore socks with their flip flops long before Jul, minus the hype. According to this study carried out by the BVA company, Germans form the first contingent of tourists to come to the Paca region. A little more than 1.3 million come to Provence-Alpes-Côte-d’Azur each year. First contingent therefore, the Germans are also those who stay the longest, with an average length of stay of 10.2 days (compared to 8.2 days on average for all international customers).
Another advantage of these tourists: a high daily expenditure with a budget of 80 euros per person. In this game, only the Swiss (7% of international tourists, 102 euros per day/person), the British (9% of international tourists, 105 euros per day/person) and the Americans (8% of international tourists, 134 euros per day/person) do better. Conversely, the Dutch (7% of international tourists) honor their reputation as stingy people who come to the campsite with a trunk full of provisions bought at home and are in fact the least spendy with 74.7 euros per day and per person.
The Alps and winter, poor relations of international tourism
If all tourists, French and international, spread equally or almost throughout the year, foreign tourists, with the exception of Spaniards (26% of stays in winter), shun winter in Paca despite its ski resorts (and perhaps its future Winter Olympics). Undoubtedly, those who do not have snow-covered mountains at home, unlike the Germans, Swiss, or Austrians, opt for Savoy or other peaks.
Thus, all seasons and nationalities combined, the Alps capture only 8% of tourist stays, while Provence and the Côte d’Azur equally share the rest of the pie. From there to deducing that foreign tourists come primarily and above all to enjoy the joys of the seaside, there is only one step that can easily be taken.
For what carbon footprint?
The leading provider of GDP in the Paca region, the tourism industry is not without consequences for the environment. This study therefore sought to assess the carbon footprint of tourists according to their geographical origin. And not too surprisingly, the further away the visitors’ country of origin is, the higher their carbon footprint, with the means of transport accounting for almost half of the emissions from their stay.
Thus, once written that French tourists, who represent 71% of stays (i.e. 26.1 million stays), have the greatest impact with around 1.9 million tonnes of CO2 collectively emitted each year in the region (i.e. the equivalent of a million passengers in Paris-New-York return flights – in France, the annual total of CO2 emissions for all activities combined is 316 million tonnes annually), logically follow the 760,000 visitors Americans who emit just over 700,000 tonnes of CO2. More numerous but coming from less far away, the Germans represent approximately 230,000 tonnes of CO2.
And so, who are the “best” tourists?
This vast study also has the merit of creating with all of its data partially presented in this study, a “touriScore”, an indicator of the tourist potential of each nationality by taking into account four criteria: the distribution over the year of tourist flows , their distribution in the region (do these tourists benefit all geographical areas), their economic potential (rich tourists are better as long as there is), and their carbon footprint.
In this game, it is once again the Germans who win. Swiss, Spanish (thanks to their presence in winter), Belgians and Luxembourgers are also very well rated while Americans pay for their high carbon footprint (too bad). Note that Italians, who tend to visit the Côte d’Azur almost exclusively, are not in the leading group. To get back together, they will have to venture beyond Saint-Tropez or take up sock dancing (but that’s too much to ask of them).