How will the French hotel industry benefit from the May bank holidays in 2025?

The tourism sector is expected to thrive in 2025, thanks to a high number of long weekends in May. These additional days off present an opportunity for the French to extend their vacations and contribute to the growth of the French hotel industry. However, interpreting the performance data is challenging due to the calendar differences compared to last year, when certain holidays fell in the same week.

The first May bank holiday is experiencing a surge in activity, with an 8.5% increase in bookings. Popular destinations like Paris, the eastern Mediterranean coast, and the western Mediterranean coast are seeing double-digit growth rates. The warm weather forecast is attracting travelers to coastal areas, making this May bank holiday the most favorable in 2025. In contrast to last year’s rainy weather, this year promises better conditions for holidaymakers.

Positive trends are also observed in more remote locations, such as the south-west interior and inland cities away from the coast. However, bookings in northern seaside areas like the Brittany coast and the North Atlantic coast have declined. Only the Channel coast has seen an increase in bookings compared to last year. Despite not reaching the same levels as the previous year, booking figures remain strong.

The second May bank holiday saw a decrease in bookings across most destinations, except for Paris. This decline is attributed to a calendar shift, as Ascension Day fell in the same week in 2024 but is scheduled for the end of the month this year. Nationally, there was an 8.1% drop in bookings, with some areas experiencing less severe declines, such as inland cities, the South-West, the eastern Mediterranean coast, and the Ile de France region excluding Paris.

These destinations are popular for short city breaks or attract business-related activities throughout the year.