Within the framework of the MEDUSA project study on adventure tourism development, the researchers lead a research and study of market demand, supply and competitiveness, analysing multiple fields from a socio-economic, political, and environmental perspective in the following countries: France, Germany, Norway, United Kingdom, United States of America.

Each country presents some highlights for MEDUSA Projects, which will be analysed during these publications.

France remains, after more than 25 years, the world’s first tourist destination with 89.4 million foreign visitors in 2018, with an increase of 3% over one year. In 2019, 69% travelled worldwide and 63% of tourists from France made their holidays within Europe.

Concerning MEDUSA countries, the UNWTO report (2019) for outbound tourism of French people (i.e. trips abroad by resident visitors to countries of destination), indicates that Italy and Spain are the main markets for French travellers, but, on the other hand, we can see that Tunisia has a high number of French tourists. Jordan has almost doubled its growth in one year.

The network of connections and transport allows easy travel to and from project countries. In details, France has 34 international airports, with the airports in Paris (Orly and Charles de Gaulle) having the most traffic.

The other international airports in France that receive long haul flights are those in Nice and Lyon, with more than 10 million passengers a year, as well as those in Toulouse, Marseille, Bourdeaux and Nantes.

France is the European country with most infrastructure for walking, cycling and equestrian tourism, and it has several specialized tour operators in adventure and active tourism.

So, the level of advancement and development of the tourism sector means that 81% of French people took holidays within their own country and less than 41% went to other EU countries.

For more information about the general profile of French travellers, their main motivations for traveling are visit to family and friends (48%), sun and beach (40%), nature (37%) and cultural visits (31%). Then, the approximate duration of the trip is 6 nights, although for long trips it rises to 10 nights.              

It is worth mentioning that 42% give importance to aspects related to sustainability and respect for the environment in the destination or accommodation. Rural areas are the preferred holiday destination for the French in their own country (34%) followed by city breaks (29%), the coast (23%) and the mountains (11%).

The research also defined the main outdoors activities which are the main reason for holidays for 7% of French tourists and, for 22%, they play a significant role.

In details, the 5 main activities and number of participants are:

• Hiking: 15 million
• Cycling (except MTB): 8,7 million
• MTB: 7,4 million
• Alpine skiing: 5,4 million
• Beach sports: 5,3 million

Besides these outcomes, published information is available on adventure and nature-based tourism, disseminated by various organizations of the own country and Europeans.

In conclusion, we can affirm that French travellers can represent a target of interest for the MEDUSA project, due to the affinity between their habits and our offer.

The existence of good transportation infrastructure connecting France and MEDUSA countries is another plus. Additionally, our products align with  French market trends, offering a cultural and nature experiences to enjoy both with family and friends, as well as rural getaways that allow to visitors experience authentic adventures.