Although it still has the largest number of campsites in Europe, accounting for nearly one-third of the total, the number has declined over the past 20 years, warns the Fédération nationale de l'Hôtellerie de Plein Air (FNHPA), which advocates a "modernisation" of infrastructure, as other European countries have already done.
In 20 years the country has lost 1,600 campsites, passing from over 9,000 to 7,400 today. Over the same period the number of camp sites in Europe has remained broadly stable, even increasing in some countries.
The FNHPA attributes the decline to environmental, climatic and regulatory constraints, which block the creation of new sites and limit the capacity of owners to adapt to the changes in the market.
The Federation point out that whilst France remains a leading tourist destination, over the past three years it has been outstripped by Spain and Italy in the number of overnight stays in all types of accommodation.
However, the camping site industry in France has experienced a "positive dynamic" and can boast of being the "only type of collective tourist accommodation to have almost stabilised its attendance," says the Federation.
Overnight stays at camp sites totalled 141 million last year (hotels 121 million), a decrease of -0.35% over the record set in 2023. Tourist arrivals were driven by Europeans (+4.6%), while domestic arrivals recorded a slight decline of under -1%.
During the summer season, over 30% of campsite visitors were from overseas, an increase of nearly +5% on 2023. The largest contingent was from Netherlands (12.2 million overnight stays), followed by Germany, Belgium and the United Kingdom (4.4 million overnight stays).
The Federation also noted a continuing change in the market preferences of visitors, with 1 and 2 classed campsites in decline (-8.7%), whilst there was an increase in +1.4% in those staying at 4 and 5-star establishments.
But there was also an increased demand for campsites with no star rating, reflecting the growing attractiveness amongst campers for more natural and sometimes more unusual forms of accommodation.
Although the coast saw a slight drop in attendance last year (-1%), it still accounts for more than half of the overnight stays. Occitanie (28.8 million overnight stays) and Nouvelle-Aquitaine (29.9 million) were able to maintain their place at the top of the most frequented regions for camping in France.
At the same time, the mountain ranges confirmed their attractiveness (+5.3%) for the second year in a row, as did the rural areas, which experienced a slight improvement with an increase of more than +1%, thus reversing the downward trend observed last year.
The industry has thus suffered "the effects of the reduction in holidaymakers' budgets" and has recorded "a drop in the average basket of expenses during stays", says the Federation. "This type of accommodation, which is still highly popular, must take into account a clientele that is more attentive to its spending, and ready to make economic choices to be able to go on holiday (reduction in the duration and frequency of stays, departure in low season, promotional offers, etc.).”
"Without a strong commitment, the continued decrease in the number of campsites could weaken the entire sector and weigh on France's tourist attractiveness," warns the FNHPA, which states that, "to avoid downgrading", France must undertake a modernisation of its infrastructure, simplify administrative procedures and set up investment incentives, as have done Spain and Italy.
"Without coordinated action, the loss of market share could increase, jeopardising thousands of jobs and weakening a key sector of the French economy," they state.
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