Japan, Thailand and Vietnam attract French tourists during Christmas season 2023

Le Figaro newspaper said that although the economic difficulties have forced everyone to "tighten their belts" and spend sparingly, the French do not want to give up their love of traveling.

Therefore, many French people still prioritize celebrating Christmas under the warm sunshine of Asia, in which the three markets of Japan, Thailand and Vietnam are their top choices.

A group of international tourists visit Hanoi's Old Quarter. Photo: Minh Quyet/VNA

Best selling Asia tours

Landing on the beach in Koh Yao Noi, a small paradise island in Thailand. Enjoying the sweet air in Lanzarote, Spain... Whether just a few hours flight, or going to the end of the world , hundreds of thousands of French people have traveled abroad, on the occasion of Christmas 2023 and New Year 2024. Ignoring expensive domestic tours, many French people have decided to go abroad to change their "taste". Despite economic difficulties, the French still do not want to give up the habit of traveling or having fun during the year-end holidays. However, the choice of tours and routes is considered more carefully.

"Thanks to the increase in the number of customers compared to last year, we are back to the level we started before COVID-19. Despite the high prices, the French still want to find a change of scenery," said Valérie Boned, president of the Association of Travel Agencies. According to the results of a survey conducted by the technology platform Orchestra, the business index of travel agencies is increasing by double digits thanks to price increases: up 13% for medium-haul destinations, up 35% for long-haul destinations. The increase in demand has surprised some experts. The most remote - and most expensive - destinations are the most sought-after, with the number of long-haul passengers up 33%). On medium-haul routes, the results were less expected (down 5%). Thanks to the strong recovery of Asian tourism, flights have returned to their pre-COVID-19 normal pace.

The rise of Asia, inflation and geopolitical tensions in Europe and the Middle East, have led to a change in the French tourist map.

Last year, the recovery of the Asian tourism market was very slow, but this year it is making a strong comeback. "Last winter, Japan barely reopened. Thailand, although doing well, only regained 70% of its pre-COVID-19 tourist arrivals," recalls Guillaume Linton, General Manager of Asia, a leading tour operator in the Asia-Pacific. This year, the tourism industries of Japan, Thailand and Vietnam have recovered with higher turnover than in 2019. "At a time when the Middle East is experiencing geopolitical tensions, Asia has become a safe haven," commented Guillaume Linton. Therefore, although prices have increased by 25% to 30%, depending on the destination, bookings have remained high. For example, a 10-day, 7-night tour to Thailand from Asia costs 2,100 euros ($2,318) per person, a package that only includes airfare, accommodation and airport transfers. This price will be reduced by 30% from January 15, but by then children will no longer have holidays, so the number of customers will also decrease... Currently, airfares are still high because airlines are still waiting for Chinese tourists to return, to regain their pre-pandemic form.

"The target group for winter holidays in remote sunny areas is usually the middle class in France, who have the highest purchasing power because they are the group least affected by inflation," said Didier Arino, director of the tourism office Protourisme. These customers can buy plane tickets for more than 1,000 euros per person. And even extend their stay to get the most value for money. Therefore, Asian tours are selling well this winter, with an average stay of 12 nights, compared to 9 nights before COVID-19.

Geopolitical tensions cause many destinations to lose visitors

Similarly, Gilbert Cisneros, CEO of Exottismes, a travel company specializing in tours to islands (French Antilles, Dominican Republic, Reunion, Mauritius, Maldives, Seychelles...), wins clients who want to get value for their money.

“We have seen an 8% increase in arrivals compared to last year and a 12% increase in revenue, a new record,” he said. But because of inflation, “euro destinations” are more sought after than “dollar destinations”, because they are cheaper for the French. Most visitors prefer to go to Martinique, Guadeloupe, Reunion and Mauritius, leaving tours to the Maldives and the Dominican Republic “sluggish”.

“Airlines have lowered certain prices, especially for flights to the Antilles, which has led to a significant increase in bookings for these tours during the end-of-year holidays,” added Didier Arino. As a result, bookings to the French Antilles have increased by 6% in traffic and 15% in revenue. Overall, according to the French Tour Operators’ Confederation (Seto), departures to the Caribbean are overcrowded this winter, while the Dominican Republic has had to reduce flights by Air France and Corsair.

Other destinations such as Europe, North Africa and the Middle East have been disrupted. Due to inflation, people prefer to travel within France and the mountains remain a favorite winter holiday destination for the French.

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict has wiped many important destinations off the map, even though they are not on the State Department's red list. "Tourism to Egypt has dropped at a record rate. Many people who booked in advance have canceled their trips. In the past few weeks, there have been almost no bookings for this destination," said Seto President René-Marc Chikli.

Lidl Voyages, meanwhile, has been hit hard by the fact that its winter destinations, which are typically the most accessible on the market, are in free fall: down 42% for Tunisia, down 50% for Egypt and down 63% for Morocco. "On the mid-range routes, we are only selling packages to Spain and the Canaries. On the other hand, long-haul routes such as the West Indies, Thailand, Mauritius, are doing well, but they only account for a small part of Lidl Voyages' revenue," admits Mélanie Lemarchand, manager of Lidl Voyages.

According to Baotintuc.vn

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