French tour operators are reporting a more positive outlook for the upcoming winter travel season, with early booking data showing an 8% increase in customer reservations compared to the previous year. This growth was announced at a press conference by Seto, a major association representing French travel agencies. The winter season, which runs from early November to the end of April 2027, has seen rising interest in destinations such as Egypt and Mauritius. Reservations for Egypt have increased by 3.5%, while those for Mauritius have risen by 12.9%. Additionally, the average spending per customer has grown by 4.7% year-on-year, reaching 2,618 euros. This improvement comes after a challenging summer season, which was heavily impacted by the war in the Middle East, which began in late February. The conflict led to a significant drop in tourism, with a 20% decline in activity between March and May. Factors such as security concerns, higher fuel prices, increased airfare, and inflation all contributed to the downturn. However, starting in June, there was a partial recovery, with more bookings for immediate departures and the off-season months of September and October helping to offset some of the earlier losses. For the period from May 1 to the end of October, the results were described as "honorable," though not enough to fully recover from the summer's decline. Seto members reported a 5.1% drop in the number of customers during this time, with a more pronounced 5.2% decline between July 1 and the end of August. The average length of stay for travelers during the summer also dropped by nearly a day. Patrice Caradec, president of Seto, explained that the trend of "leaving less far, leaving less long" reflects the financial constraints faced by many French travelers. Despite the summer’s decline, France saw a 5.4% increase in the number of customers for the winter season, partly due to the popularity of mountain destinations. However, medium-haul destinations experienced a 5.1% drop in customers, and long-haul destinations saw an even steeper decline of 12.2%. Caradec noted that as long as French travelers avoid major airports in the Middle East, these long-haul destinations may struggle to return to their previous levels of activity.