Nice: a good month of July, but however not exceptional

The hotel business union has already set up a first tourist assessment: July is about to be like July 1999, but with a decrease in 4-strar-hotels and an increase in 3-star-hotels

July 2000 was a good month. But it is not exceptional as some thought, this is what Michel Tschann (Syndicat des Hôteliers de Nice, Nice hotel-keepers union) underlines. Thus even if the number of people going to hotels was high, it remained sensibly equal to last year figures.Come back of French and German clientelesJuly 2000 characteristics: decrease in four-star-hotels, even if Russian people are coming back; a high demand for three-star-hotels (Nice will have to think about offering more prestigious activities during the summer, the union suggests); confirmation of the presence of new clienteles (Israel; Turkey) and some new ones (Chinese and Korean people, very few represented), and a come back for French and German clienteles.These new clienteles are interesting, Michel Tschann explains, because they are the proof that when a country opens to tourism, the privileged destinations are first the big world capitals , and then the French Riviera comes in second position. The efforts lead by the Nice tourism office were useful.Prospects for AugustThe same characteristics should also prevail in August. The week-end of August 15th should be overcrowded as usually, with especially a great number of Italian people. Two trends are being confirmed: very late bookings, with then availabilities for short journeys; and the necessity to have a good reason to travel (festivals, casinos, parties, museums, exhibitions…)According to Michel Tschann, the French Riviera showed in July that the attraction the region provokes was intact, with 'quality activities to develop again, a renovated hotels park presenting an excellent quality-price ratio, a good adaptation to new technologies and to world market necessities'. And something which is to keep in mind, for the Nice hotel-keepers 'the summer on the French Riviera lasts all the year long, and July and August are actually months quieter than May, June and September.