Guy Antognelli, Director of the Department of Tourism and Conventions, reports that 2023 is certainly a good year with a hotel occupancy rate of 75 percent in July and 72 percent in August, but still behind compared to 2019.
“Monaco attracts very good customers,” he said. Excellence is the secret of the Principality’s success: “Monaco is a place like nowhere else. Unique in its size, in its history, in the consistency of the services provided and in the excellence that must be found everywhere: in shops, restaurants and hotels.”
The idea is that each visitor can appreciate quality and excellence. Quality must be found whatever the range of products you consume. This is what all private partners are trying to produce in the Principality, he added.
The origin of visitors is interesting. The top three of the summer, and the top three since the start of the year are France, the United States and the UK, with Italy comes in fourth position.
“What we are seeing overall compared to 2019 is a growth in non-European clienteles, including a strong increase in the Middle East,” Mr Antognelli said.
The Asian market, on the other hand, is barely picking up, with the exception of Japan. China is at just under 40 percent of its outbound tourism in 2019. Australians are present in numbers in Monaco, increasing compared to 2019. “These are markets with a promising future for the Principality. We will see them much more present in 2024,” he said.
With the summer season now over, the eyes of the Tourism and Congress Department are now focused on autumn and the peak period for business tourism: the Monaco Yacht Show, Assises de la Sécurité, Luxe Pack, Sportel… “These are all major events that are sold out and some of them will attract more participants than during previous editions. Requests for 2024, 2025 and 2026 are already pouring in. This proves that the Principality remains very attractive for business conferences and seminars,” Guy Antognelli said.
FILE PHOTO: Max Brodie
