According to preliminary data released by the Barometer of French Riviera Tourism, 2008 was characterised by a stagnation of overnights at hotels and residences. However, with 12.3 million overnights, the Riviera still enjoyed one of its best ever tourism years.

However, the last quarter - with air arrivals at Nice international airport down by 10% - showed a clear sign of deteriorating conditions in tourist arrivals. Hotel occupancy was down by 0.5 point to 62%, while the occupancy at residences increased by two points to 67%. Budget accommodation recorded the best performance of all hotels, with a 7% rise in occupancy for zero- to one-star hotels and an 11% increase for member inns of the Gites de France.

For 2009, the French Riviera expects a growth in its domestic market as well as from Belgians and Germans who will compensate for an expected decline from the UK, as well as from long-haul markets. A worrying trend is the continuous decline in spending by visitors since 2005. In 2008, average spending per stay decreased to 488 euros - down18.1% over 2007. In 2005, average spending per stay reached an all-time record of 817 euros.