Home
News
All news
The Loire Valley, a popular destination for tour operators organising cycling holidays

The Loire Valley, a popular destination for tour operators organising cycling holidays

Published on 18 January 2012 - Updated 25 January 2012
Cet article date d'il y a plus de 12 ans

Tourism

So says the study published by the French Directorate-General for Competitiveness, Industry and Services (DGCIS) - which analyses cycling holidays organised in France by French and foreign tour operators (TOs) in 2011. With the Loire à Vélo cycle path due to be completed in 2012, the Loire Valley's appeal got a boost in 2011 with a 29% increase in TOs offering tours here - up by 28% themselves.

The market is highly concentrated at international level as the top five destinations account for ¾ of TOs and tours - with France in poll position. Within France, the five most commonly programmed regions are home to 50% of tours, compared with 60% in 2010. The Loire Valley is therefore in the lead with 358 cycling trips programmed by TOs in 2011 - ahead of Provence-Camargue (327), Burgundy-Beaujolais (227), Dordogne-Lot (191) and Alsace-Vosges (159).

TOs are developing medley breaks (cycling/good food, cycling/boating, etc.). There are 89 "cycling + boating" tours, but none in the Loire Valley.

Discovery breaks (80% of the total range available) are mainly available in heritage-rich destinations: wine tourism, good food, architectural heritage, natural heritage, major sites of interest,