What figures to remember from the 2024 tourist season in the Channel?

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“Despite a timid start to the spring and a slightly lower summer season compared to the previous year, the Manche destination has confirmed its attractiveness,” assures Attitude Manche at the time of taking stock of the tourist season. She thus draws up a satisfactory results with some supporting figures, one of which is impressive:

908,250 nights

This is the number of nights recorded in the Channel during the first week of June, that of the commemoration ceremonies. This represents an increase of almost 47% compared to 2023.

Thus, attendance that week approached peak season and Ascension levels. But she had one particularity: she was 46% foreign. “The commemorations linked to the Landings remain a key moment for attracting international visitors,” analyzes Attitude Manche.

During this period, foreign visitors represent 46% of overnight stays in the Channel with a strong presence of American, German and British tourists.

28% Normans

At the end of the commemoration period, tourists who come to the Channel are mainly Normans. 28% of our tourists come as neighbors. Although this represents 4% less than last year, they remain in the majority ahead of Ile-de-France residents (23%) and Bretons (15%). In total, French customers represent 61% of total attendance.

39% foreigners

“International customers have strongly mobilized, marking a dynamic recovery since 2019,” analyzes Attitude Manche. Thus, Americans have returned and represent 9% of foreign attendance. It is the Germans who mainly came to visit our territory (18%), followed by the English (16%), the Americans, then the Belgians (7%), Italians and Spaniards (4%), and the Irish, Japanese and Swiss. (2%).

24% are over 65 years old

Our tourists are not very young. 24% of them have in factt over 65 years old. But the youngest are coming in increasing numbers: those aged 25-44 have increased by 0.8% compared to 2023.

9% more attendance on the GR23

The enthusiasm for the GR223 does not weaken and tends to stabilize. The number of passages increased by 9% over the season compared to 2023; this increase was driven by two major sites (Cap Lévi and Cap Carteret which account for 36% of the use of GR223 counters).

1,180 bicycle passages

With his cycle routes connecting the stations, the Channel is positioned as an ideal destination for “zero carbon emission” getaways.

With family, friends or alone, the station-to-station tours offer a tailor-made experience. Thus the practice of bikein notable progression since the post-Covid period, stabilized in 2024 at a level 24% higher than that of 2019, with a significant concentration on the summer period.

1,180 passages were therefore recorded on average per meter over the 2024 season, of which 44% took place during the summer period.

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