A study by GetYourGuide reveals that experiential tourism generated 5.6 billion euros in 2025, moving the value out of metropolises.
Tourism in France is undergoing a structural transformation. Beyond the volume of visitors, real economic growth now lies in the value created by immersive experiences, increasingly outside of traditional circuits. This is the finding of an economic impact study published by GetYourGuide, a global travel experiences platform, which quantifies the impact of this sector and analyzes a new geography of French tourism. HAS” Tourism in France is entering a new phase: growth no longer comes only from volumes, but from the value created by experiences, often outside major cities. » analyse Cécile Lavarenne, Regional Manager de GetYourGuide France.
An economic impact of 5.6 billion euros
According to the study, the spending of international travelers who booked an activity via the platform in 2025 generated a total economic impact of 5.6 billion euros for the French economy. The report, based on an Input-Output methodology and data from INSEE and Eurostat, reveals a significant multiplier effect: each euro spent locally by these visitors generated €1.75 of value in the national economy, by integrating the effects direct, indirect and induced. This dynamic is driven by a specific segment of travelers, whose profile and consumption habits are pulling the entire sector upwards. The full study, authored by Francesca Cominelli (University Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne) and Guido Guerzoni (Bocconi University), highlights the key role of experiments in the growth and resilience of local economies.
The profile of the experiential traveler
Far from mass tourism, experience lovers constitute a segment with high added value. They spend on average €455 per day per person, up to four times more than the national average. Their stay is also longer, with an average duration of more than six days. This trend is accompanied by a craze for more authentic and immersive activities. Between 2024 and 2025, bookings for adventure activities, shows and workshops jumped by more than 40%, while those for guided walking tours more than doubled. For these travelers, the experience is no longer a simple complement, but a central element of the trip: more than a quarter of them declare that an activity was a determining factor in the choice of their destination.
A new geography of French tourism
One of the major lessons of the study is the geographic rebalancing of economic impacts. If Paris logically concentrates the largest number of reservations, the capital only ranks sixth in terms of average value per transaction. Value is increasingly created in secondary territories. The analysis shows that reservations cover 90% of French departments, thus spreading the benefits of tourism over a large part of the territory. The highest spending per transaction is observed in smaller municipalities, such as Bayeux in Calvados, famous for its tapestry, Saint-Laurent-sur-Mer, a Normandy municipality neighboring Omaha Beach, or even Chamonix-Mont-Blanc, an emblematic mountain destination.
A strategic lever for the territories
This development confirms the economic potential of less frequented areas. By making local offers visible and accessible (artisanal workshops, specialized guides, niche excursions), digital platforms play a strategic role. They allow small structures to access an international clientele that they would struggle to reach alone and direct flows towards a greater diversity of destinations. This model promotes more sustainable and inclusive tourism, where value is better distributed for the benefit of local communities. By aligning the expectations of travelers seeking authenticity with the wealth of territorial offers, the GetYourGuide platform (www.getyourguide.com) contributes to shaping a future where tourism benefits the entire country.
