Americans have largely replaced the missing Russians and Asian visitors this summer, as the Riviera enjoys an excellent tourist season, local French-language daily Monaco Matin reports.
Hotel occupancy rates are abut 80 percent and the sector is back to pre-pandemic levels the newspaper says.
The director of the five-star Royal Riviera at Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat said Americans account for 20 percent of summer bookings. Bruno Mercadal – who is also vice-president of Hotel branch of the local federation of hotels, restaurants and tourism – added that weddings that were postponed because of lockdowns have also helped boost takings.
The British, Belgians, Swiss and Dutch are also present in larger numbers, he said.
Meanwhile, Firoz Kassam, owner of the four-star Les Terrasses d’Eze, told NEWS.MC that although there are more Americans than in recent years, but they have not arrived in droves.
If, as is likely, France reintroduces a Health Pass at its borders in August, visitor numbers for the later part of the summer are sure to plummet.
Monaco will publish its own visitor statistics at a later date.
PHOTO: Les Terrasses d’Eze
