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How to Prevent Travel Fatigue at the Start of Your Vacation

August 6, 2026 by Amara Nambinga

Holidays are often associated with rest and recovery. Yet many travelers feel more fatigued upon arriving at their destination than before departure. This widely shared impression contrasts with the very aim of a trip meant to recharge the batteries. Sleep specialists have studied this phenomenon and explain why vacations do not always translate into immediate recovery. Indeed, holidays are supposed to allow recuperation, but they often begin in the worst possible conditions for the body…

A study conducted with 1,000 Britons reveals that 76% of them believe that travel disrupts their sleep. More than two in five acknowledge that fatigue affects at least their first day of vacation, while nearly 14% say they lose the first two days of their stay due to exhaustion. And even though the figures from this study were collected in the United Kingdom, the sleep mechanisms highlighted concern travelers just as much among French holidaymakers.

Holidays that begin with a sleep debt

According to data analyzed by Simba, a company specializing in sleep technologies, nearly 18% of Britons have already booked or plan to travel abroad this summer, meaning more than 23 million adults potentially affected by travel-related fatigue. For Lisa Artis, Deputy Chief Executive of The Sleep Charity, Simba’s partner, several factors accumulate even before arriving at the destination.

“The ‘holiday sleep hangover’ has become the hidden physical and mental cost of modern travel. Sleep disruptions usually start well before unpacking the suitcase and can continue long after you’ve unboxed your things”, she explains in a statement relayed by the Daily Mail. The expert notes that many travelers already depart with a sleep deficit. More than a quarter of respondents (26.1%) report sleeping less well than usual the night before departure, while 22.1% sleep three hours or fewer.

Nevertheless, 19.2% still book very early morning or late-night flights, while 17.6% land at their destination completely exhausted. Lisa Artis also warns against a common mistake before departure. “If you wake up at 3 a.m. to reach the airport after a restless night, you are asking your body to function with less recovery than usual. This sleep debt can follow you during the first days of your trip”, she explains. And she adds: “It can be tempting to try to optimize the night before departure by going to bed very early. But trying to fall asleep earlier by force can make falling asleep even harder. You end up checking the clock and feeling even more awake”.

These moments that prolong fatigue

Sleep deprivation does not end once you are on the plane. The study shows that 29.9% of respondents have trouble sleeping during the flight, especially when seats offer little legroom. Lisa Artis recommends preferring a window seat, ideally over the wings, where turbulence is generally less noticeable, while avoiding seats near bathrooms or galleys. Airport habits can also amplify the phenomenon. Nearly one traveler in five (19.4%) consumes alcohol before or during the journey.

The expert notes that “the higher the level of alcohol, the more dehydrating its effect”. She also points out that “spirits such as vodka, gin, rum or whiskey contain a much higher alcohol concentration than beverages like beer or wine. They can therefore contribute more to dehydration when consumed in large quantities”. To minimize this effect, she advises alternating alcoholic drinks with water throughout the journey.

Arrival at destination does not necessarily erase this fatigue. More than one Briton indeed reports rarely sleeping well on the first night in the hotel, particularly due to an unfamiliar environment. To ease adaptation, Lisa Artis recommends bringing a pillowcase from home, avoiding long afternoon naps, and quickly exposing oneself to natural light.

Finally, coming back from vacation can also be taxing… More than a quarter of participants (27.5%) report feeling the effects of this fatigue for at least two days after their return, while 18.3% say they are more exhausted during their first week back at work than before their departure. As Lisa Artis reminds us, “the goal isn’t perfection. It is about giving your body the best possible conditions to recover. Holidays should leave you rested, not make you feel you need another week to get over it”.

French Hotel Industry: Strong Start to 2026

August 1, 2026 by Amara Nambinga

L’hôtellerie française confirme son bon début d’année en février 2026 - Depositphotos.com @david_franklin

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The French hotel sector confirms its solid momentum at the start of 2026.

According to the latest barometer published by In Extenso Tourism, Culture & Hospitality, February continues January’s trend, with indicators on the rise at the national level, despite persistent regional disparities.

In February, the occupancy rate of hotels in France reaches 55%, up 1 point year over year. The average revenue per room (RMC) stands at €107 excluding tax (+1%), while the RevPAR increases by 2%, to €59 excluding tax. Over the first two months of the year, the average RevPAR reaches €58 excluding tax, also up by 2%.

“”February confirms the broadly positive momentum of the French hotel market at the start of 2026“,” says Olivier Petit, CEO at In Extenso Tourism, Culture & Hospitality.

A trend driven by both the rebound in demand and a dense event calendar, even though some uncertainties remain, notably related to the international geopolitical context.

Paris and Île-de-France Stand Out

In Paris and Île-de-France, hotel activity remains well oriented.

The capital records a RevPAR of €141 excluding tax in February, up 5% year on year. This performance is supported by rising prices, particularly in the mid-range segment, as well as by higher demand.

The dynamism largely rests on a rich calendar that blends business and leisure: trade shows such as Wine Paris & Vinexpo, sports events like the Six Nations Tournament, and calendar milestones such as Valentine’s Day and the Chinese New Year.

Over the first two months of the year, the cumulative RevPAR in Paris reaches €151 excluding tax (+6%), confirming the destination’s role as a driver, even if the rest of the Île-de-France region shows more mixed results.

Regions Still Display Mixed Performance

In the regions (excluding the Côte d’Azur), February appears more mixed. The occupancy rate stays around 50%, with an average price of €84 excluding tax, broadly stable year over year. Only the high-end segment stands out, with RevPAR up by 3%.

Weather conditions weighed on several destinations, notably the coastal areas, as well as cities such as Marseille or the Basque coast around Biarritz. On the coasts outside the Côte d’Azur, RevPAR falls by 8%, with declines especially pronounced on the southwest and Mediterranean fronts.

Some cities benefited from the calendar effect. Lille benefited from cultural and sports events, while Montpellier benefited from the return of the Open Occitanie. However, these occasional dynamics do not suffice to erase gaps between destinations or to overcome the challenges facing the ultra-budget segment.

Confirmed Rebound on the Côte d’Azur

On the Côte d’Azur, February marks a clear rebound in activity. The occupancy rate rises to 53% (+4 percentage points), the average price reaches €107 excluding tax (+5%), and RevPAR jumps by 9%, to €56 excluding tax.

This rebound is largely supported by the event calendar, notably in Cannes, with the return of MIDEM, the IPEM Wealth, the World AI Cannes Festival, and the International Games Festival. In Nice, the Carnival and the Monte Carlo Rally also helped boost attendance, particularly in the mid-range and upper segments.

The sole downside concerns the luxury and palace segment, where price increases appear to have tempered demand.

Finally, urban residences show relative stability in February. Occupancy reaches 64% (+2%), with an average revenue of €76 excluding tax (-1%) and a RevPAR of €49 excluding tax (+1%).

Île-de-France remains the main engine of this segment, with a 3% rise in RevPAR. In the regions, performance remains more uneven, with a decline in the very large urban areas, particularly in the mid-range.

Published by Amelia Brille TourMaG.com Editor
See all articles by Amelia Brille

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Accor: A Remarkably Solid Start to the Year Ahead of the Middle East Conflict’s Impact

August 1, 2026 by Amara Nambinga

Accor : le RevPAR progresse de 5,1 % au 1er trimestre 2026 - Depositphotos.com Auteur T.Schneider

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The hotel group Accor reported a revenue of €1.313 billion in the first quarter of 2026, up 2.3% at constant exchange rates, in an environment marked by geopolitical tensions, notably in the Middle East.

Revenue fell -2.7% on a published basis.

“The Group once again posts growth that is solid and sustained“, says its CEO Sébastien Bazin, who highlights “the very strong momentum at the start of the year” that helped largely offset the effects of the regional conflict.

The first two months of the year were “remarkably solid“, continuing the momentum from late 2025, before the Middle East conflict disrupted activity from late February. The United Arab Emirates were notably affected, while other areas, such as Europe or Southeast Asia, benefited from robust demand.

RevPAR (revenue per available room) grows 5.1% year over year

RevPAR (revenue per available room) rises 5.1% year over year, driven mainly by price increases. Growth is particularly pronounced in the Americas (+9.1%) and in Asia-Pacific, while Europe shows a more modest advance (+2.7%).

The Premium, Midscale and Economy division posted €663 million in revenue, up 4.6% at constant currency. By contrast, the Luxury & Lifestyle segment declined slightly (-0.7%), largely due to perimeter effects related to disposals, the press release indicates.

Within this segment, Management & Franchise activity remains dynamic, with a 15.2% rise, driven by the network expansion and RevPAR growth.

During the quarter, Accor opened 48 hotels, representing more than 6,700 rooms. Over twelve months, net network growth stood at 3.8%. By the end of March 2026, the group counted 5,815 hotels and nearly 880,000 rooms, with a pipeline of 260,000 additional rooms.

The group remains attentive to the evolution of geopolitical tensions, whose impacts are “currently uncertain.” Nevertheless, Accor maintains that its “growth algorithm remains intact” and expresses confidence in its ability to improve performance over the course of the year.

At the same time, the group continues its financial initiatives, with a €450 million share buyback program announced for 2026, of which an initial tranche of €225 million was launched at the beginning of April.