Buy the full study
Summary of our market study
The French vacation village market is estimated at €1 billion.
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a major impact on the sector.
The market seems to have reached maturity and is highly competitive.
The global hotel market, of which French vacation villages are a segment, has rebounded to $4.5 trillion by 2022 and is expected to reach $6 trillion.
In France, vacation villages cater to both national and international travelers.
Demand comes mainly from families and an older clientele. These vacation village regulars account for almost half of the market's clientele, and are known for their loyalty to certain destinations and chains.
The French vacation village market is divided between commercial companies and social tourism associations.
Holidaymakers make around three tourist stays a year, preferring guesthouses and self-catering accommodation.
The classification of vacation villages ranges from one to five stars.
The pillars of French vacation villages.
- Club Med is synonymous with top-of-the-range, all-inclusive resorts
- The Pierre & Vacances - Center Parcs group is the market leader in upmarket, family-friendly offers.
- Belambra Clubs
- Center Parcs stands out
- Villages Clubs du Soleil, specialists in accessible social tourism
- Azureva
- VVF Villages (Village Vacances France)
- Ternélia
- Cap France
- UNAT represents over 1,500 establishments, hundreds of associations and thousands of employees and volunteers
to understand this market
Detailed content of our market study
Inforamtion
- Number of pages : ~ 40 pages
- Format : Digital and PDF versions
- Last update :
Summary and extracts
1 Market overview
1.1 Definition and scope of study
A vacation village is a tourist establishment that welcomes families, couples, groups of friends or professionals for stays of varying lengths. Located in popular destinations, villages offer a complete experience where every detail is taken care of. Guests are welcomed in the form of a package (accommodation, catering or individual meal preparation facilities, leisure activities).
Vacation villages are characterized by their warm atmosphere and community spirit. They encourage encounters and exchanges with other residents through group activities and evening entertainment.
There are two ways of managing vacation villages in France:
- Management by social tourism associations (affiliated to UNAT);
- Private management by commercial companies (Pierre et Vacances);
By 2023, on a global scale, the tourism market has grown steadily, sustained by a compound annual growth rate of 5.5% (2023 - 2032). In terms of foreign visitor arrivals, Europe dominated the market with 54% of the total.
On the French market, tourist accommodation sales grew steadily between 2015 and 2019 before being impacted by the pandemic and falling to 3.84 billion euros in 2020. By 2021, sales have resumed their upward climb, and will continue to grow significantly until 2023.
There are many players in this market, including property developers, vacation village managers and service providers.
Vacation villages can be classified by range (luxury, budget, ecological...) and are located in three main areas:
- By the sea
- in the mountains
- in the countryside
There are 920 vacation villages in France, comprising 64,000 units and 254,000 beds, and these numbers are constantly growing. These establishments welcome almost 5.5 million guests a year throughout France, more than half of whom are families.
Accommodation in these villages is generally offered in three formulas:
- Full board
- Half board
- Self-catering
The main players in the French vacation village market include Pierre & Vacances, Club Med and Village Vacances France.
1.2 Global market
In ****, global tourism market sales amounted to US$**.** trillion, marking a significant recovery from the disruption caused by the covid-** pandemic. Forecasts for **** indicate continued growth, supported by a compound annual growth rate of *.*%, reflecting a positive trend in the industry.
Trend in tourism market sales World, **** - ****, in trillions of ...
1.3 Marché National
Between **** and ****, tourism accommodation sales showed steady, continuous growth. However, between **** and ****, it fluctuated significantly. Indeed, in ****, it stood at *.** billion euros, then fell sharply to *.** billion euros in ****, a decrease of **.*%. This withdrawal was mainly due to restrictions linked to the covid-** pandemic. Sales then picked up again to reach ...
2 Demand analysis
2.1 Demand segmentation
Customers choose their vacation villages according to :
Destination and area Formulas offered Price The comfort of the establishment Presence of children's clubs[***]
Type of clientele :
Families dominate the tourist home customer base , accounting for **% of visitors. Groups of friends and business customers are also important, each accounting for **% of stays. Last ...
2.2 French preferences
In ****, the majority of French people prefer beach vacations, in keeping with the tradition of summer vacations. Rural destinations also retain an important place in the hearts of the French. The mountains come in third place, notably for their scenery and the possibilities for sporting activities in both summer and winter. ...
2.3 Demand cyclicality
The graph below shows the proportion of searches for the given keyword in a given region and for a specific period, compared with the time when the keyword was most widely used (***). Thus, a value of ** means that the keyword was less commonly used in France, and a value of zero ...
3 Market structure
3.1 The value chain
The vacation village value chain is a structured set of players and processes that contribute to the creation, management and distribution of the offering to consumers. The main players are :
Property developers and promoters: Such as Pierre & Vacances, Odalys or Belambra Clubs. They are responsible for designing and building vacation villages. ...
3.2 A growing number of establishments
Between **** and ****, the number of tourist and other short-term accommodation units rose steadily, from *,*** in **** to *,*** in ****. After a slight decline in **** (***), the sector has resumed a steady growth trajectory. Between **** and ****, the number of accommodations rose by *%, followed bya *.*% decline in **** linked to the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic. However, ...
4 Offer analysis
4.1 Offer typology
Vacation village typology
By location :
By range :
4.2 An inclusive offer
Offers to suit everyone
The majority of vacation villages in France offer special options for families with disabled members, so that they too can take full advantage of the village facilities.
4.3 Prices on an upward trend
The evolution of price indices for the two accommodation categories reveals contrasting trends. For the "Holiday resorts, camping, youth hostels and similar accommodation" category, the index rises from *** in **** to ***.** in ****, a cumulative increase of **.*% over eight years. This stable progression, with an average increase of around *.*% per year, indicates moderate ...
5 Regulations
5.1 Regulations
General provisions
Article D***-*
"Vacation villages may be designated if they meet the conditions set out in articles D***-* et seq
Article D***-*
"Vacation villages include :
Individual or collective accommodation and premises for management and services. Communal facilities for sporting activities and group entertainment. For meals, ...
6 Positioning the players
6.1 Positioning the players
- Pierre et Vacances
- Center Parcs (Pierre et Vacanses)
- ClubMed
- Belambra Clubs
- Azureva
- Villages clubs du soleil
- Ternelia
- Village Vacances France (VVF)
- Cap France
- UNAT
List of charts presented in this market study
- Sales trends in the tourism market
- Number of international tourist arrivals
- Breakdown of tourist arrivals by region
- Change in the number of tourist accommodations and other short-stay accommodations
- Change in number of employees in tourist accommodation and other short-term accommodation
All our studies are available online in PDF format
Take a look at an example of our research on another market!
Latest news
Despite historic results, Club Med destabilized by takeover by China's Fosun - 10/09/2024
- Club Med 2023 sales: close to 2 billion euros. - Club Med net income 2023: *99 million euros. - Percentage of Club Med village capacity that is upscale or very upscale since last April: 100%. - Fosun seeks to sell 20-30% stake - Fosun Tourism Group shares generated by Club Med: three quarters.
A vacation village is a driving force for the local economy - 18/06/2024
- - Club Med aux Arcs: investment of 94 million euros for construction, 75% of which will benefit regional companies (2018).
- - Club Med aux Arcs employs 250 full-time equivalents and generates as many spin-off jobs.
- - Club Med records an average of 120,000 overnight stays in winter and 50,000 in summer.
- - 5% to 7% increase in non-Club Med overnight stays since opening.
- - 6-point increase in the share of international clientele between 2018 and 2019.
Tourism: VVF adapts its offer to a more itinerant clientele in search of meaning - 18/06/2024
- - VVF manages 90 destinations in 63 départements.
- - The trend towards an itinerant clientele has accelerated since Covid-19
- - Less than a third of customers opt for an all-inclusive stay, unlike less than ten years ago when this trend was reversed.
- - VVF employs 1,200 full-time equivalents.
- - 60% of VVF sites are owned by local authorities.
- - Last year's sales: 90 million euros, against 80 million in 2022.
- - Average basket: 970 euros for a four-person stay.
Club Med expands in the Middle East - 08/05/2024
- Club Med plans to open a 300-room club in the Musandam region of Oman.
- The cost of building the complex is being financed to the tune of 90 million euros by a consortium led by Omran Group.
- Construction is due to start in 2026, and the resort is scheduled to open in 2028.
Club Med completes 20-year journey upmarket - 28/03/2024
- - Business volume: almost 2 billion euros
- - Increase in business volume: 17% compared to 2022 (1.7 billion euros)
- - Business volume increase in Asia: 96%, back to 2019 level
- - Number of customers welcomed during the year: 1.5 million
- - Increase in number of customers: 16% compared with 2022
- - Increase in resort capacity: 6%
- - Net income: 99 million euros, including 40 million euros in non-recurring items.
Tourism: Pierre & Vacances tests a new foray into the high-end segment - 27/03/2024
- - Annual customer numbers: two million
- - Number of residences in Europe: 186
- - Number of residences in France: 143
- - Target number of 4- to 5-star residences in 5 years: 25
Companies quoted in this study
This study contains a complete overview of the companies in the market, with the latest figures and news for each company. :
Choosing this study means :
Access to more than 35 hours of work
Our studies are the result of over 35 hours of research and analysis. Using our studies allows you to devote more time and added value to your projects.
Benefit from 6 years' experience and over 1,500 industry reports already produced
Our expertise enables us to produce comprehensive studies in all sectors, including niche and emerging markets.
Our know-how and methodology enable us to produce reports that offer unique value for money.
Access to several thousand articles and paid-for data
Businesscoot has access to all the paid economic press as well as exclusive databases to carry out its market research (over 30,000 articles and private sources).
To enhance our research, our analysts also use web indicators (semrush, trends, etc.) to identify market trends and company strategies. (Consult our paying sources)
Guaranteed support after your purchase
A team dedicated to after-sales service, to guarantee you a high level of satisfaction. +44 238 097 0676
A digital format designed for our users
Not only do you have access to a PDF, but also to a digital version designed for our customers. This version gives you access to sources, data in Excel format and graphics. The content of the study can therefore be easily retrieved and adapted for your specific needs.
Our offers :
the vacation village market | France
- What are the figures on the size and growth of the market?
- What is driving the growth of the market and its evolution?
- What is the positioning of companies in the value chain?
- Data from several dozen databases
Pack 5 études (-15%) France
- 5 études au prix de 75,6€HT par étude à choisir parmi nos 800 titres sur le catalogue France pendant 12 mois
- Conservez -15% sur les études supplémentaires achetées
- Choisissez le remboursement des crédits non consommés au terme des 12 mois (durée du pack)
Consultez les conditions du pack et de remboursement des crédits non consommés.
Our customer references
They have consulted our studies
Discover the opinions (+500)
Malcolm Vincent
Astoria Finance
Gregoire de Castelnau
Stags Participations
Timothé Huignard
PWC
Paul-Alexis Kebabtchieff
BCG
Aymeric Granet
Publicis Consultant
interviews & case studies
All interviews and case studies (45)
