the cultural tourism market | France

1.1 Definition and scope of the study

Cultural tourism is defined by the World Tourism Organization as tourism focused on cultural attractions and products, and is one of the fastest growing segments of the tourism industry worldwide, accounting for an estimated 40% of all global tourism revenues in 2018.france has a cultural heritage conducive to this type of tourism, with more than 8,000 museums, 1,500 festivals, 44,000 classified and registered historical monuments, 40 cultural sites on the UNESCO World Heritage List, parks and gardens, not to mention scientific, technical, intangible heritage and the art of living.

The cultural and heritage offer represents one of France's main assets to attract international tourists. But not only that, since every year, about 40% of French people practice a cultural activity in the country during a tourist trip. In 2018, cultural tourism accounted for 100,000 direct jobs, and feeds indirect jobs in other areas, particularly in the field of accommodation, catering and leisure.

Cultural tourism is therefore a vector of attractiveness of France and of the economic development of the territories. In fact, the tourist traffic generated by cultural sites has a direct impact on the economic development of territories, both in terms of employment and economic revenue. Thus, culture has become the catalyst for local tourism strategies.