Sports tourism is no longer content to exist on the fringes of traditional holidays: it is becoming a central driving force. The Ifop study carried out in March 2026 and which has just been made public, reveals a clear cultural shift. In France, 81% of individuals say they practice a sporting activity, including 58% at least once a week. This massive asset base constitutes a favorable breeding ground for the growth of outdoor activities, now fully integrated into leisure behavior.
What changes profoundly is the role played by these practices in the decision to leave. Today, 46% of French people consider that the possibility of practicing outdoor sporting activities is an important criterion in choosing a destination. This figure rises to 59% among the youngest, a sign of a particularly marked generational shift.
In fact, this influence is already reflected in behavior: 30% of French people say they have chosen a destination specifically to practice an outdoor activity over the last twelve months. In other words, almost a third of tourist flows now include a sporting dimension from the start of the stay project.
This logic profoundly transforms the hierarchy of choice criteria. The beauty of the landscapes comes out on top (47% of quotes), far ahead of price (26%) or accessibility (23%). Experience takes precedence over logistics, and emotion over economic rationality. In this context, territories are no longer simply evaluated for their overall tourist attractiveness, but for their capacity to offer immersive, readable and differentiating sporting experiences.
An economy that is still diffuse but already structuring
If the influence is strong, monetization still remains mixed. The average budget devoted to outdoor activities amounts to 98 euros per person, with a median of 50 euros. A majority (60%) even spends less than 51 euros.
This paradox – strong influence but moderate expenditure – reflects a key reality: outdoor activities are often perceived as accessible, even free (hiking, cycling, swimming), but nevertheless structure the entire tourism value chain. They guide the choice of destination, influence the length of stay and determine accommodation decisions.
As such, the study shows that 50% of practitioners favor furnished rentals, far ahead of hotels (41%). This shift is not trivial: it corresponds to a search for autonomy, proximity to nature and flexibility in the organization of activities.
Another strong signal: 74% of French people believe that outdoor activities have become more important in recent years. This massive perception reflects a structural rise, driven both by post-Covid aspirations, the search for well-being and a certain saturation of traditional tourism models.
The dynamic is set to continue. 40% of French people plan to organize more trips around a sporting activity or a specific passion. Among younger generations, this intention becomes the majority (54% for Gen Z, 53% for millennials), confirming that the phenomenon is not cyclical but structural.
Towards a new geography of tourism
Beyond the figures, a geographical shift is at work. Outdoors no longer just enriches the tourist offering: it shifts flows. Territories that have long been secondary – less exposed Alpine valleys, coastal hinterlands, rural areas – regain centrality as they become practice areas. They are no longer just places to visit, but spaces to experience.
This shift profoundly changes the hierarchy of destinations. The notoriety of a city or region is no longer enough. What matters now is the ability to offer a readable, immediately actionable experience: an identifiable hiking route, a recognized surf spot, a structured bike route. The choice is no longer made solely on a map, but almost like selecting an activity.
Behind this development, a broader transformation is required in the territories. It is no longer just a matter of attracting, but of equipping, organizing, making it practicable. Signage, route maintenance, flow management, quality of associated services: attractiveness becomes operational. The destinations that perform are those that make the experience simple, fluid, almost obvious.
This is precisely where the interest in Airbnb lies. By promoting accommodation located as close as possible to places of practice, the platform captures this new demand and supports the redistribution of tourist flows. The outdoors works in its favor: it diverts some travelers from saturated urban areas to areas where the hotel supply is more limited, but where alternative accommodation – houses, apartments, diffuse accommodation – is abundant.
In other words, the rise of outdoor activities directly fuels the Airbnb model: more localized, more experiential, less standardized stays, which correspond precisely to the promise of the platform.
AJ
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