Main tourism figures of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region
Population
4.8 million of inhabitants, which represent 7.6 % of the French population 3rd region of France after Paris-Ile de France (11.5 million) and Rhône Alpes (6 million)
Territory
31 400 km2 which represent 5.8 % of the French territory Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur owns a diversified and varied landscape : city, mountains, littoral and hinterlands Coastline : 900 kms (with islands) 6 "departments" : Alpes de Haute-Provence, Hautes-Alpes, Alpes Martitimes, Bouches du Rhône, Var et Vaucluse 963 communes whose 23 own more than 25 000 inhabitants Marseille, Nice and Toulon represent the 3 more inhabited cities of the region
Access
The Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region is become a more and more accessible destination, thanks to : - an important traffic network owning 2 500 kms of motorway (A7, A8, A54) - Mediterranean TGV (high speed train) accounts more than 13.3 million of tourists at the departures and arrivals of the stations' region Important airports : - Nice Côte d'Azur owns the 2nd french airport with more than 10.3 millions of passengers, - Marseille welcomes around 6.8 millions of passengers, - Toulon/hyères : around 641 000 passengers, and - Avignon : 82 000 passengers Harbor : - Marseille welcomes more than 2 millions of passengers - Nice : 1.3 million, and - Toulon : more than 1 million passengers
The car is still the most popular transport means to go to Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur : 58 % of tourists use the car, followed by the TGV (17 %). The road transport is losing shares on the market (decrease of 13 % in 10 years) for the air and rail transport, increasingly used by tourists. The plane represents around 15 % of stays to 12 % in 1996 ; this transport means is increasing thanks to the development of low cost airlines and openning of new lines.Â
In 2006 : - 59.1 % of tourists stays were realised by car (72.4 % in 1996), - 21.7 % of tourists stays were realised by train (17 % by TGV - high speed train) (14.3 % in 1996) - 14.8 % of tourists stays were realised by air plane (12.1 % in 1996) - 4.4 % tourists stays were realised by boat (1.2 % in 1996)
Heritage
Natural heritage 3 national parks : - Les Ecrins : 800 000 visitors - Le Mercantour : 500 000 visitors - Port-Cros : 500 000 visitors 5 regional nature reserves : Camargue, Luberon, Queyras, Verdon and Les Alpilles More than 90 touristic strech of water whose 32 of more than 1.5 ha Cultural heritage 2 200 protected historic buildings More than 400 museums whose 113 are controled and classified More than 27 000 archeologic sites registered
A business destination
Business tourism represent 20 % of tourism activity in the Alpes Maritimes and 6 % of the tourism in Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, generating about 7.5 millions overnights (= 1.6 million stays)
Economy : Tourism, a financial ressource for the region
Employment Around 2 millions of workers in the Provence Alpes Côte d'Azur region 7 % of the regional employment is dedicated to tourism : - 105 300 jobs linked to tourism (annually average) - 150 000 jobs linked to tourism during the high season (july/august) The Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region represent 11.5 % of the touristic employment in France Source : INSEE
Consumption GDP regional : 130.2 billion € (in 2006) Economic balance of tourism activity in PACA : 12 % of the regional GDPTourism consumption of the PACA region : 11 billion€ Participation of the region in the French touristic domestic consumption : 12 billion €, which represent 13.6 % of the national touristic domestic consumption. Source : Direction du tourisme
65 % of the regional consumption are generating by the 3 coastal departments : Alpes-Maritimes, Bouches du Rhône and Var.
14 % of the national accomodation supply 11.3 % of the national hotel supply 10.7 % of the national camping supply 26 % of the national tourism residences supply 15.7 % of the national second home stock 15.2 % of the national holiday village supply
Supply capacity Around 3 million of touristic beds whose more than 700 000 are trade beds and 2 millions in second home
The Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region is leader on the national market in terms of holidays village and youth hostels supply and second home.
Regional hotel trade Occupancy rate over the year 2007 : 60.3 % Occupancy rate over the year 2006 : 58 % The regional hotel trade has registered 21.5 millions overnights (whose 39 % by foreigners) which represent an increase of 2.4 % to 2006. Length of stay in the hotel trade : 2.1 days
1st region to welcome French tourists (before Rhône-Alpes and Île de France) Source : SDT/Direction du tourisme/TNS SOFRES 2nd region to welcome foreign tourists (after Île de France) 34 million tourists More than 224 millions overnights in 2007, which represent an increase of 1.6 % to 2006. 6.6 nights : average of lengh of stay in 2006
Seasonality
Peak on the 11th august 2007 with more than 2.5 million overnights in the region. A destination in favour of short breaks (less than 4 nights) which is nowadays the tourism trend : in 2006, 34 million of stays whose 42 % were short breaks and 58 % long breaks. 2/3 of short breaks were practised by foreigners and French tourists coming from out of the region PACA.
However summer stays are longer and represent over the year 51.3 % of stays and 62.6 % of overnights. 48.8 % of stays are out of the summer time.
7.3 million tourists (21 % of tourist stays) come from the Provence-Alps-Côte d’Azur region. Around 59 % of tourists (more than 20 millions tourists) come from other parts of France. 20 % of tourists come from abroad (7 million tourists).
Visitors coming from Provence-Alps-Côte d’Azur and Ile de France account for nearly 50 % of French clientele in the region. 14 % of French stays accounting on the region are from Rhône-Alpes, following by Languedoc-Roussillon (12 %).
Most of foreign tourists in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region come from Italy, United Kingdom, Germany and Belgium.
Length stay on average 6.4 nights for a tourist 3.5 nights for a tourist coming from the region PACA 7.7 nights for a foreigner  7.1 nights for a tourist coming from out of the region PACA
Reasons for visits
9/10 touristic stays are realised for holidays (leasures) and for family reasons. More than 6 % of stays are realised for business reasons, against 3 % in 2003. Tourism business take more and more importance in the region.
Young, family and well-to-do consummers
More than 7 out of 10 stays are realised by family or between friends (with or without children). More than 21 % of stays are realised by couples. 1/4 of tourists are aged from 35 to 44 years old, immediately followed by the 25-34 then by the 45-54. The major part of tourists is represented by a well-to-do clientele.
Tourist spending : foreign tourists spend more than the French
A tourist staying in the PACA region spends an average of 50 €/day/person A French tourist coming from out of the PACA region spends 46 €/day/person A French tourist coming from the PACA region spends 40 €/day/person A foreign tourist spends 67€/day/person : a foreigner spends 21 € more than a French visitor. Average budget for a stay in the PACA region (3 persons) : around 1 000 €
Repartition of tourist spendings Catering is for a French tourist the main spendings whereas the accomodation represents the main spendings for a foreign tourist.
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