The Lot department in southwestern France recorded 1.4 million overnight stays in July 2026, a 9% drop from the previous year and 13% lower than in 2024, according to the latest economic report from Lot Tourisme, the department's tourism board. Over the first seven months of 2026, overnight stays are down 8% compared with the same period last year.
The decline was driven largely by a drop in French visitors, down 10%, whom tourism officials said were sensitive to the cost of living and fuel prices. Foreign tourists proved more resilient, falling just 4%, helped by a 25% rise in American visitors, who recorded 20,000 overnight stays. Dutch tourists remained the largest group of foreign visitors with 91,000 overnight stays, ahead of Belgians with 72,000 and British visitors with 62,000.
Extreme heat and wildfires disrupt peak season
July 2026 was the hottest July recorded in France since 1900, marked by a heatwave lasting 16 consecutive days. In the Lot, falling river levels curbed swimming and canoeing activities, while wildfires, including one near the village of Cieurac, added to the concern. On July 29, the hottest day of the month, the Lot recorded 53,000 overnight stays, compared with 63,000 a year earlier. Even the extended July 14 holiday weekend failed to deliver the boost operators had hoped for.
One sports tourism professional said forecasts had been encouraging but that the extreme heat had caused close to 70% of cancellations, calling it the worst July in the business's 24-year history.
Industry hit hard
Only 34% of tourism operators in the department said they were satisfied with their July business, down from 49% in 2025. Two out of three professionals, 66%, reported lower visitor numbers than the year before.
In Cahors, Figeac and Gourdon, the heat emptied the streets in the afternoons. A tourist office manager said information offices were practically empty from 2pm onward and that guided tours had to be cancelled.
Hotels and campsites voiced similar frustration. A local campsite manager said the heatwave had brought reservations to a halt, adding that bookings had been running ahead of schedule before the losses set in.
Spending power and last-minute bookings
Alongside the weather, rising fuel prices and inflation piled pressure on holidaymakers' budgets. Behavior shifted toward shorter two-to-three day stays, stricter choices on outings and fewer restaurant visits.
A gite rental owner said customers had less spending power and were complaining about prices, particularly in restaurants. A hotelier in the department said customer habits had changed, with everyone either deciding to travel at the same time or not at all, describing a broader shift toward last-minute booking.
Concern grows for rest of season
The approach of August has done little to ease worries. Only 46% of professionals described August booking levels, typically the peak of the Lot's tourist season, as encouraging. Confidence falls further for the months ahead, to 31% for September and 17% for October.
A bed-and-breakfast owner said repeated heatwaves and late bookings made it very difficult to plan ahead. The industry is now hoping for milder weather to limit the losses of what has been an unusually difficult summer.
