The figures have fallen, and they are good: with almost 6 million overnight stays this summer, the summer season was exceptional for tourism professionals in Seine-Maritime. Indeed, not only does this figure increase compared to last season (4.4 million overnight stays in 2021), but it also increased by 11% compared to 2019before the coronavirus pandemic. “It’s only positive for our department, it’s a real dynamic”congratulates himself Frederic Marchemayor of Cléon, departmental councilor and deputy president for tourism at the Seine-Maritime Attractif agency.
The countryside, “an asset for the territory”
The figures for this summer also confirm an increase in the number of “excursionists”, tourists who come only for one day: they were 8.6 million this summer, compared to 6.7 million last year. Here too, the figures are increasing (+26%) compared to 2019. Figures boosted in particular by the return of foreign tourists, except perhaps Chinese: “We had a lot of Europeans: Germans, English, Belgians, etc.”, confirms Frédéric Marche. But also Spaniards and Italians, attracted by the cooler weather this summer in Normandy.
This tourism boom typically benefits the coast, but also the countryside: “Seine-Maritime is one of the greenest departments in France, and this rurality which is close to the coast is an asset for the territory. We have 950 km of cycle paths, greenways and developed roads, that too is an asset”considers Frédéric Marche, guest this Monday from France Bleu Normandie.
If the 2022 season was very good, tourism professionals expect to do even better in 2023, with in particular the return of the Armada to Rouen in June.