The 74th edition of the Cannes Film Festival was held in July amid restrictions linked to the pandemic but despite the curbs, Cannes, France obtained very good quantitative and qualitative tourist results for the month. The first visitor figures for Cannes for July indicate a higher number of visitors than previously estimated, even though they remain lower than the 2019 figures. The occupancy rate is up 10 points compared to 2020.
While plenty of French visitors were expected in Cannes for the beginning of summer, it's the return of foreign travelers, mainly from the United States, Northern Europe and the Middle East that has given the town a major boost. Restaurants, bars and cafes, especially the "high-end" ones, are seeing much better results than 2020, thanks to the high purchasing power of the international clientele.
The Cannes Film Festival played an obvious role in attracting lots of visitors and giving a positive impression internationally of the Côte d'Azur to launch the season.
For the Old Port of Cannes, the summer is proving excellent with larger boats than last year. As many as 3,000 boats passed through during the summer.
"This year in Cannes, every day we’re seeing a 10 percent stay extension rate, which is much higher than in previous years. This is due to last-minute bookings and testifies to the fact that people who come to Cannes feel good about being here," said Christine Welter, president of the Syndicat des Hôteliers de Cannes.
This summer, the shows organized at the Palais des Festivals et des Congrès, the Pyrotechnic Art Festival, the launch of the museum of cinema, the Villa plages électro, the Villa Jamel Comedy Club and the "Porte aux étoiles" mapping are all events that add to the destination’s appeal.
August looks promising, with a booking rate equivalent to that of 2020, but with lots of last-minute bookings.
The return of high-end professional event activity and major events such as the Yatching Festival (September 7 to 12), MIPIM (September 7 and 8) at the Palais des Festivals et des Congrès, and the Royal Regattas (September 19 to 25) suggest very positive visitor prospects. To date, the occupancy rate of rooms already booked in September is 28 percent, compared to 17 percent last year at the same time.
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