Recently, we took a deep dive into what's happening in the short-term vacation rental market in France. In this post, we look at the country overall and then dive deep into these specific markets:

• Paris
• Bordeaux
• Annecy
• Marseille
• Cannes
• Lyon

If you'd like to read this analysis in French, click here.

Key Takeaways:

• Booking pace in Paris and Bordeaux is in line with 2019 trends over the summer and is shaping up to perform better than last year as travel demand continues to rise.
• Annecy and Marseille markets show shorter booking lead time trends within three weeks from arrival date, with the same trend projected to continue through the summer months.
• Cannes market booking pace is picking up faster than in 2019 for July and August, while remaining slow in the short term. Property managers should keep an eye on lead time data and manipulate last minute discounts accordingly.
• All year to date performance for Lyon shows recovery from 2020, but demand has not yet reached normal levels like in 2019.

Within France, for example, the chart above displays the average number of bookings that have been made per listing over the past 21 days, for both 2019 and 2021. Using 2019 pace data helps provide insight into how 2021 is performing so far compared to a “normal” year.

Lawmakers in the European Union recently approved a new type of travel document that will allow travelers to freely visit European destinations within the EU without having to quarantine. This announcement comes just in time for the summer high season in most European markets, including many in France, which could mean an increase in short term rental accommodation demand throughout the region, something that owners and managers should be aware of over the coming weeks.

For a deeper dive in each of these markets, check out the charts below.

Market Insights

In Paris, Annecy, Cannes, Lyon, Marseille and Bordeaux, the charts below display all bookings that have been made over the past 21 days by their check-in week.

Additionally, the same values for 2019 are included to provide pacing context for each market.

Paris & Bordeaux

For both the Paris & Bordeaux markets, 2021 booking pace is mostly in line with 2019, with a few select weeks pacing higher than 2019. At this time, there is no concern of Summer pacing behind 2019 based on current booking levels.

Compared to the same time period in 2019, this Summer is pacing in line with 2019 booking pace for most weeks. There are a few differences week to week, but in general, the Summer is picking up at the same pace it was back in 2019. As booking pace recovers, property managers should not be concerned about slow booking pace for the Summer as this trend looks to be in line with a more normal year.

While overall demand in France is down, there are still people traveling and staying in short term rentals.

Annecy & Marseille

In the Annecy and Marseille markets, last-minute booking pace for the next three weeks has surpassed the same time period in 2019. The Marseille market in particular has historically experienced shorter booking lead times that have sustained since the start of the pandemic, a trend that is likely to continue through the summer as travelers book last-minute more than ever.

Both markets appear to be keeping up with 2019 booking pace at least in the short term, also due to the fact that short-term rental pricing is considerably lower now than it was two years ago. Be sure to stay on top of your pricing strategy to stay competitive in the near term and take advantage of increased travel demand in the future.

Cannes

The latest Cannes booking pace looks a bit different than other markets, with booking pace ahead of 2019 starting the first week of July and continuing into August, while pacing similarly to 2019 for the remainder of the year. With a decreased average booking lead time compared to previous years in the Cannes market, booking pace in the short term is far behind a more “normal” year like 2019.

For this Summer, the chart shows more early summer bookings being made in Cannes for early June 2019 compared to the same time this year. Property managers should keep an eye on their latest booking lead time data as market demand is still very low in June, even with July and August already booking faster than in 2019.

Lyon

Year to date performance in the Lyon market shows recovery from 2020; however, this chart clearly shows that there were more summer bookings being made in Lyon as of early June 2019 compared to this year. Analysts advise that summer is anticipated to perform ahead of 2020 trends, but travel demand for the market is nowhere near a full recovery compared to 2019 data. Property managers should keep an eye on their latest booking lead time data as the market heads into summer and last-minute bookings drive occupancy through August.

With government regulations changing almost daily, be sure to stay on top of your pricing strategy in order to maintain current market demand and prepare for the future. With increased vaccination rates worldwide, changes in global travel demand are on the horizon.

For a more detailed look at your properties and your market, check out our Insights tool today.

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