The leisure park market - France

The global theme park market has grown slightly over the past decade. Forecasts for this market are even very optimistic: from $59.83 billion in 2023, the theme park market should reach $91.13 billion by 2030, with a CAGR of 6.2% over the given period. Theme parks remain globally over-represented, with one park in two belonging to this category.   Although France accounts for just 6% of this global market, it remains Europe's favorite leisure destination, with 63 million visitors a year to some 600 theme parks. In fact, of the 20 European parks with the most visits, 4 are French. In fact, these same 4 parks(Disneyland, Parc Astérix, Puy du Fou and Futuroscope) account for around 40% of visits to the top 20 European parks. 2020 was a tough year for the theme park market, with successive shutdowns imposed during the sector's peak seasons. However, the recovery was direct and continuous, leading to average attendance at French parks in 2024 being 15-20% higher than in 2019.   It should be borne in mind, however, that the theme park market is dominated by large players (the 4 above) who, in order to continue attracting customers, are diversifying their hotel offerings and extending their existing parks (or, in the case of Disney, building a new park). Regional parks, unable to compete with these entertainment behemoths, are focusing their strategy on the family-friendly, affordable format of their offer, by proposing tailor-made outings, such as a"birthday snack" formula for La Mer de Sable.