And the winner is… Montreal. For the second year in a row, the Quebec metropolis has risen to the top of French travel intentions this summer, according to the ranking established by OpinionWay for Liligo. Montreal, which has just joined the World Council for Sustainable Tourism, a further step in the deployment of its “Harmonious Destination” program.
Tourisme Montréal had already joined the very exclusive club of destinations that offer visitors the possibility of calculating their carbon footprint, while committing them to respect “the visitor’s promise”, an adaptation “to the flavor of Montréal” of the Icelandic oath. Slow travel enthusiasts can now travel from Montreal to New York by train aboard Amtrak’s Adirondack. After a three-year hiatus due to Covid-19, it’s once again possible to travel on this scenic train that takes travelers through the Hudson Valley and eastern Adirondacks.
Ajaccio ranks second in this ranking, which gives pride of place to Corsicasince Bastia is also there, positioning itself in 5th place. Driven by the success of the campsites but affected by the heat waves, tourist numbers in Corsica have already shown a slight increase of 0.8% last year compared to 2019. The outlook therefore looks favorable this year again. .
With Lisbon (3rd) And Porto (4th)THE Portugal is also making a place for itself in this ranking. The destination had already posted record tourist receipts in 2022. While the United Kingdom remained the leading source market for tourists to Portugal, ahead of Germany, Spain and France, the strongest growth was recorded among the Americans, Brazilians and Irish.
In 6th place, we find Marrakesh, a very popular destination on the French market, which has finally removed the latest health restrictions recently. No formalities related to the Covid are now required to go to the red city or to the whole kingdom.
Then come Point-à-Pitre, in Guadeloupe, 7th, which remains a safe bet, despite a very sharp rise in the price of plane tickets, and New York. After receiving 9 million tourists last year, without yet returning to 2019 levels, new York expects encouraging prospects this year. Big Apple intends in particular to capitalize on a busy events calendar. The year will be marked in particular by the 50th anniversary of the birth of hip-hop music through numerous events.
There Greece also promises to be, like last year, one of the great successes of the summer. Athens occupies the 8th place in this ranking. Last year, tourism receipts reached record levels, surpassing the performance of 2019.
bangkok finally closes the ranking established by OpinionWay for Liligo, embodying the return of Asian destinations in the travel plans of the French. Long remained closed to foreign tourists due to the health crisis, this part of the globe is now striving to regain its place on the chessboard of destinations.
While more French people will be traveling this summer compared to last summer (62% this summer compared to 60% in 2022), 64% of French people intending to travel this summer will go to Francei.e. -1 point than last year and 44% will go to foreign destinations, +2 points than summer 2022. 54% of travelers even intend to leave several times, the study points out.
Another observation: this summer, 74% of French people plan to use the car as a means of transport, -1 point compared to last year, while the train takes +2 points this summer and is the means of transport envisaged by 17% of the French. It should be noted that environmental awareness has a significant impact in decision-making on reservations for 37% of respondents. The use of air transport is stable compared to the summer of 2022, the plane will be taken by 22% of French people who intend to travel, also details the study.
While inflation has a significant impact on reservations for these summer holidays for 67% of French people, i.e. +17 points than last year, on the budget side, this year again the French intend not to restrict and plan to spend €96 more per person compared to last summer, i.e. a budget of €1,124 per person, also reports OpinionWay. An increase in the average basket which also reflects the rise in prices in the sector, whether accommodation or air travel.
OpinionWay survey for Liligo conducted from April 12 to 13, 2023 on a sample of 1050 people representative of the French population aged 18 and over. The sample was drawn up according to the quota method, with regard to the criteria of sex, age, socio-professional category, category of agglomeration and region of residence.
