Survey on river tourism
The Direction Générale des Entreprises (DGE) and the Commissariat Général à l'Egalité des Territoires (CGET) have studied international best practices that can be transposed to France in terms of river tourism. After a hexagonal overview, their report, published on February 13, 2018, focused on the operation of inland waterway navigation abroad, such as in Canada or Germany, technological and service innovations and the promotion of the activity. It estimates the potential of the entire river tourism sector, from liners to boats without a license to dockside rentals, at 500 Meuros of annual economic impact in France.
200 Meuros for yachting
In its overview of river tourism, the report distinguishes two aspects of boating: boat rental and private boating.
Boat rentals peaked in the 2000s, according to the report. The fleet, mainly made up of boats under 15 m, has declined, reaching 1604 boats in 2012. The latest available figures estimate its economic impact at 103 Meuros in 2011.
Private yachting is concentrated in the Rhône-Saône, Seine and South-West basins. In 2013, the fleet was estimated at 13,500 boats with an average length of 10 m and the spin-offs at 102 Meuros. Rental at the quay on the principle of AirBnB is in strong development indicates the report.
River Tourism Day
Encouraging the promotion of the various sites and ecological practices, the DGE is considering the creation of a working group on the economic observation of river tourism. A national river tourism day should be created.
