Worry and pessimism.
After the complicated season experienced by tourism professionals in Corsica, summer 2024 promises to be just as difficult, according to these players.
“
We have no reason to be optimistic,” confides César Filippi
, president of the GHR (hotel and restaurant group) Corsica, which has around 300 members.
We came close to disaster because of last season.
And without effort in terms of transport prices, particularly air fares, it will be complicated for the next one
.”
Lack of available seats in the air, prices too high for a plane ticket, increase in the supply of furnished tourist accommodation, the problems denounced by professionals are similar.
A study by INSEE (National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies) published at the end of 2023, confirmed the negative feelings recorded on the island during the summer.
Summer attendance recorded a drop of 8.1% compared to 2022. If tourists spent 9.3 million nights in various types of accommodation, including hotels, campsites and other collective tourist accommodation (AHCT), the island recorded a loss of 824,000 overnight stays.
From April to September 2023, 6,310,000 travelers passed through island ports and airports.
With 102,200 fewer passengers than in 2022, passenger traffic is down 1.5%.
This decline, more moderate in transport than in accommodation, confirms a reduction in the length of stays and suggests changes in the choice of accommodation: “
The undeclared economic fabric is doing well, unlike hotels and restaurants” ,
notes, bitterly, César Filippi.
In its sights, para-commercialism and in particular the Airbnb platform which continues to gain ground: “
There were 11% fewer seats in the air during the summer of 2023 and at the same time, an increase of 10 at 15% of the number of furnished accommodation
, analyzes Jean-Baptiste Pieri, secretary general of the circle of large houses of Corsica, which has more than twenty four and five star hotels.
The hotel and catering industry lost 10% of turnover.
And operating costs have exploded.
We had to sell off our accommodation back and after the season.
It's very serious what happened.
Paradoxically there were more people in July and August but these tourists went to furnished accommodation.
The public authorities want to implement a seasonal adjustment policy, but in reality this does not happen
.”
“We cannot be competitive”
The Corsican Tourism Agency (ATC) had decided not to promote the destination for the summer, as part of actions against mass tourism.
For Jean-Baptiste Pieri, the origin of the problem is to be found in the policy applied by the airlines under public service delegation, Air-Corsica - Air France: “
There is a drop in available seats in the airline industry combined with very high prices.
A couple who comes to Corsica will spend two to three times more on transport than when they are there.
It is the only European destination in this case.
Transport puts Corsica out of the market.
We cannot be competitive.
There are tickets for 800 euros to do a Paris-Figari.
..”
We are doing tourism that is killing the tourism industry.
Problems which persist and raise fears of a new “bad” tourist season: “
If we continue like this, we will no longer attract new customers.
We are doing tourism that is killing the tourism industry.
There is very strong inertia on the part of public authorities.
All our European neighbors in competition with us exploded their attendance figures last year.
The island had a mediocre season and the scenario risks repeating itself in 2024.
”
Despite these prospects, professionals hope to resist: “
Here we talk about tourism, we look at you askance.
It's almost a swear word
, laments César Filippi.
But we are not giving up, even if the situation is worrying
.”