As the Festival of Lights approaches, Lyon has regained its power of attraction. Consequences: hotels are full of reservations. A week before the start of this event, the hotel booking rate in the Lyon metropolis exceeds 80%. Individuals don’t even hesitate to rent their apartment for a few days, just to take advantage of this windfall.
In Lyon, the Festival of Lights is fast approaching. One week before the event, which is expected to attract several hundred thousand people in 4 days, tourism professionals are already rubbing their hands. Bookings are on the rise in hotels and on platforms. As proof of this good health, searches are three times higher than last year.
In city center hotels, such as the Grand Hôtel des Terreaux, the rooms are overcrowded for the Festival of Lights. Almost everything sells out a week before the festivities begin. In particular the “standard” or entry-level rooms: currently no longer available.
The 4-star establishment has already recorded an average occupancy of 70% for this illuminations weekend. The staff expects to be fully booked also for the weekend of 10 and 11 December. “We had lost customers in 2020 and 2021. There we really see a recovery with more customers and more tourism”, explains Vanille Aib Perrier, Reception Manager. “The Festival of Lights is a very popular time in Lyon,” adds. The clientele is there despite the rooms costing 10 to 15% more according to a hotel union, up to double the price in some establishments.
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The same enthusiasm for privately rented apartments. Even tourists prefer this formula. Hubert Valentin has been renting his accommodation for 5 years. The Festival of Lights is the time to rent your property.
“There are people who rent only for the Festival of Lights. Especially those who live downtown, who flee the city at this time. It’s time to earn some money and improve purchasing power just before the holidays,” explains the Lyonnais.
Searches for apartments multiplying on Airbnb. Three times more than in 2021 for the Festival of Lights. This enthusiasm can also be explained by new habits. “People are looking for warmth, comfort: eating at home before exploring the city, easier than queuing up to eat at restaurants or kiosks…” Adds.
Consequence of this strong demand for reservations: impossible to find a room in Lyon for less than 100 euros a night. Some apartments, the prices for one night even exceed 300 euros.
A 2022 edition below Best wishes
This enthusiasm for tourists should allow the Festival of Lights to reconnect with its pre-Covid attendance. In 2019, for the same period, the hotel occupancy rate was 75%. And in 2022? “The Festival of Lights is a very important moment for the hotel industry and for all tour operators in our destination. Currently the lights are on for this 2022 edition because the booking rate is over 80% for hotels in the region Metropolis of Lyon”, explains Cécilia Prudhomme, director of “Visit Lyon”.
The booking rate in the hotel industry is therefore auspicious. The festival generally welcomes “56% national visitors” but also visitors from European countries such as Switzerland, Italy or Spain. “Last year 27% of our visitors were foreigners,” he says. “Last year, in 2021, according to data from the city of Lyon, we welcomed 1.8 million visitors during the 4-day Festival of Lights. We expect to have as many visitors this year” does not hesitate to affirm Cécilia Prudhomme, director of “Visit Lyon”. Side projection of dating: “We are on the same trends as in 2019”, confirms Cecilia Prudhomme.
Need for conviviality, enthusiasm for popular and free events, rich programming and entertainment for families… the actors of tourism in Lyon are betting on this 2022 edition of the Fête des Lumières.
