Tourism in Dordogne: in Bergerac, “spending is done differently”

While the season started late, professionals noted changes in behavior with constrained purchasing power

In terms of attendance, the summer of 2025 will be more or less similar to that of 2024 in Bergerac, in the Dordogne. According to initial reports, attendance at the tourist office at Quai Cyrano has held up with "a slight increase in June" and a "slight decrease in July," while August should show the same trend as June. "Decisions about stays are being made later and later depending on various parameters, but especially the weather," notes Marion Cornille, who runs Quai Cyrano .

This summer, the start was particularly late. "Rentals really started on July 19 and continued until August 23," says Sarah Vinck, who manages around forty properties as the Conciergerie Bergeracoise manager. In short, the 2025 summer season was particularly "tight." At the Hotel Le Gambetta, "they worked rather well." "Regarding our second establishment opposite the train station, we recorded a 20% drop in turnover," they explain.

Foreign tourists were well represented, particularly British, Belgian and Dutch tourists, but also more Spanish tourists, as Pauline Auban observed at the Château de Monbazillac, where the season was also considered "satisfactory." However, Quai Cyrano estimates that there were fewer English tourists this year (-10%).

"We welcomed more foreigners and fewer Bergerac residents," notes Jean-Pierre Fourloubeix, president of BMG, which manages Le Vieux Logis in Trémolat and La Tour des Vents in Monbazillac. He estimates that business was "at least identical to that of 2024." But for him, the establishments have especially "suffered from the profusion of restaurants opening in Périgord and Bergerac."

Ultimately, tourism professionals have primarily observed a change in behavior. "We can feel the decline in purchasing power," emphasizes Pauline Auban. A "constrained" budget forces tourists to make choices.

"They also sacrifice leisure time by allowing themselves only one paid outing per week."

"At Quai Cyrano, we saw that people were willing to consume more expensive glasses of wine but fewer bottles, and in this case, they tend to turn instead to snacks, which are less expensive," explains Marion Cornille. "They also sacrifice leisure time by allowing themselves just one paid outing per week. The spending is done differently."

"They spend a lot of time in rentals," explains Sarah Vinck. The Bergerac resident notes that customers have "very specific requirements" about what they're looking for, with a penchant, for example, for heated pools. The same trend is true at Quai Cyrano, where visitors also have very specific questions about parking or swimming spots. However, fun events like the Murder Party or the Happy Sunset evenings "have been a great success" at Quai Cyrano. At the Château de Monbazillac, evening events have also been a hit.

"We need to rethink our business because there's no longer a clear trend," says Marion Cornille. "We need to continue diversifying our offerings because even the time of day we consume food is changing."