Table of Contents
Overview
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- What you need to know
- Covered in this report
Executive Summary
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- Holidays to France recover from 2016 shock but long-term market share still down
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- Figure 1: Forecast of holidays to France, by volume, 2012-22
- One in five adults have holidayed in France in past five years
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- Figure 2: Participation in holidays to France, November 2017
- Paris most popular location, but wide distribution of UK visitors
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- Figure 3: Regions in France visited on holiday in the past 5 years, November 2017
- Niche holiday opportunities
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- Figure 4: Types of holiday taken in France in the past 5 years, November 2017
- Sharing economy is drawing a new generation of travellers
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- Figure 5: Types of accommodation used for holidays in France, November 2017
- Seven-month booking window
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- Figure 6: Month of booking and taking last holiday in France, November 2017
- Potential to promote rural retreats
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- Figure 7: Main attractions of France as a holiday destination, November 2017
- Pace of life both a draw and a deterrent
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- Figure 8: Further attitudes towards holidays to France, November 2017
- What we think
Issues and Insights
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- No-fly France remains a key selling-point despite rise in air travel
- The facts
- The implications
- Singles potential
- The facts
- The implications
- Families on tour
- The facts
- The implications
- Budget families
- The facts
- The implications
The Market – What You Need to Know
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- Holidays to France regain momentum
- 60% of trips remain ‘no-fly’ but air travel up 24% over the past two years
- Over-65s are fastest growing visitor segment
- Overseas holiday market hits record levels but growth now slowing
- Influx of British tourists to Spain may offer opportunity for France
- Expensive reputation may be a problem
- Atout France takes sensory approach
Market Size and Forecast
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- Holidays to France recovered in 2017 but long-term trend still down
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- Figure 9: Holidays to France market, by volume and value, 2012-22
- Le nouveau normal
- Forecast
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- Figure 10: Forecast of holidays to France, by volume, 2012-22
- Figure 11: Forecast of holidays to France, by value, 2012-22
Segment Performance
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- Packages in decline
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- Figure 12: Volume of holidays to France, independently booked versus package trips, 2012-17
- Air travel on the rise
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- Figure 13: Volume of holidays to France, by mode of travel, 2012-17
- Short breaks offer highest spend per day
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- Figure 14: Holidays to France, by volume, value, number of nights and average spend per night/day, by trip duration, 2016
- Over-55s are highest spenders
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- Figure 15: Volume of holidays to France, by age, 2016
- Figure 16: Percentage volume of holidays to France, by age, 2011-16
Market Background
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- Consumer habits becoming more deal-oriented
- Overseas holidays reach record high but growth rates slowing
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- Figure 17: Domestic and overseas holiday volume and expenditure, 2012-17
- Spain has seen big increase in market share
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- Figure 18: Top 10 overseas holiday destinations, by number of trips, 2012-17
- Pound stays weak but has stabilised
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- Figure 19: Spot exchange rate, Pound Sterling vs euro and US$, June 2016-January 2018
- France overtakes Italy as most expensive European destination
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- Figure 20: Worldwide holiday resort costs*, 2014-18
- Driving costs have risen but are still lower than five years ago
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- Figure 21: Motoring costs per 1,000 miles, 2013-17
- New transport developments
- Air
- Rail
- Ferry
- #FeelFrance
- Sporting chance
- Green France
Launch Activity and Innovation – What You Need to Know
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- Eurostar entertainment
- New holiday parks
- Visitor attractions
- Golf opportunity
- Design hotels
Launch Activity and Innovation
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- Eurostar Odyssey
- Disney meets Center Parcs
- Disneyland Paris reaches 25
- New holiday village in Normandy
- New visitor attractions
- Golf tourism
- Shopping in Lyon
- New design hotels targeting Millennials
The Consumer – What You Need to Know
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- France number one choice for AB travellers
- Special interest, cruise and escorted tours offer opportunities
- Boomers under-represented in luxury hotels
- Airbnb attracting new generation of travellers
- Bookings peak from February to August
- Food & drink and landscape are biggest draws
- Laid back, but lacking excitement
Experience of Holidaying in France
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- Consumer penetration stays flat at 21%
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- Figure 22: Participation in holidays to France, November 2017
- France appeals to a younger crowd
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- Figure 23: Demographic profile of those who have taken holidays to France, Spain and Italy in the past 5 years, November 2017
- France attracting more ABs and families than main rivals
- Future potential
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- Figure 24: Interest in visiting France on holiday in future, November 2017
Regions of France Visited on Holiday
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- Paris, south east & south west most visited
- Solo travellers head to the city
- North West has strongest family bias
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- Figure 25: Regions in France visited on holiday in the past 5 years, November 2017
Types of Holiday Taken in France
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- City break is top but France has broad tourism mix
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- Figure 26: Types of holiday taken in France in the past 5 years, November 2017
- Other cities have benefited slightly from Paris’s decline
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- Figure 27: Types of holiday taken in France, November 2015 versus November 2017
- Visitors heading for the country
- Families attracted by a range of holiday types
- Special interest potential
French Holiday Accommodation
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- Under-45s prefer broadest mix of hotel types
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- Figure 28: Types of accommodation used for holidays in France, November 2017
- Airbnb appeals to under-35s
- Families on a budget may opt for ‘Frenchcation’
Holiday Booking and Departure Times
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- Main booking window is February to August
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- Figure 29: Month of booking and taking last holiday in France, November 2017
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- Figure 30: Month of taking last holiday in France, family versus non-family, November 2017
Main Holiday Attractions of France
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- Gastronomy & landscape are leading attractions
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- Figure 31: Main attractions of France as a holiday destination, November 2017
- C’est chic
- Shopping a draw for younger city breakers
Attitudes towards Holidays to France
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- ‘No-fly destination’ still an important selling-point despite rise in air travel
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- Figure 32: Agreement with attitudes towards holidays to France, November 2017
- Rail potential
- Families most sensitive to weak Pound and security concerns
- The Francophiles
- French way of life seen as an attractive quality
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- Figure 33: Further attitudes towards holidays to France, November 2017
- France lacks buzz for Millennials
- Diversity could be more strongly promoted
- Contrasting slow/fast messages needed
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- Figure 34: Target groups, based on attitudes towards holidays to France – CHAID – Table output, November 2017
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- Figure 35: Target groups, based on attitudes towards holidays to France – CHAID – Tree output, November 2017
Appendix – Data Sources, Abbreviations and Supporting Information
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- Definition
- Abbreviations
- Consumer research methodology
- CHAID methodology
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