What is local tourism?
A new trend for 2020, local tourism is on the rise, but what exactly does it involve?
Thanks to Covid, many of us have spent a weekend or a holiday very close to home. This new way of travelling is known as local tourism, and we take a closer look at the trend here.
What is local tourism?
When the world is out of reach, we finally start looking around us! And it is true: when you live somewhere, you rarely know your own city all that well.
We speak from experience: some of us live in Paris and have had the chance to discover our own city like proper tourists!
So what really defines local tourism?
- First of all, as we have just said, it is about discovering (or rediscovering) your own city and the surrounding area. The limit is 100 km, so essentially one region.
- A holiday budget that is inevitably smaller. Accommodation costs disappear or drop sharply, and the same goes for travel costs. As a result, you treat yourself a little more at restaurants, cultural attractions and so on.
What are the benefits?
The benefits of this kind of tourism are many. Above all for the region, but also for guests.
Your budget for eating out and cultural visits is bigger. You treat yourself more than usual: dinner at the Fouquet's awaits!
You also shrink your carbon footprint. Indeed, you travel less and use transport less, so the planet thanks you for it.
And finally, this time it is your region thanking you: local tourism helps breathe new life into regions left without visitors. So support the businesses near you, try that restaurant that has been on your list for months, take that walk that is a bit long but so beautiful, and give something back to the people who look after it all!
In the end, Covid will have taught us to live differently, and not necessarily for the worse.
What about you: have you done a little local tourism this year? For anyone who would like to keep going and book a great hotel in Paris, here is our selection.
Proximity tourism relies on a few simple characteristics that make it a distinct economic and environmental model.
| Aspect | Characteristic | Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Scope | Maximum 100 km from home | Discovery or rediscovery of your region |
| Accommodation budget | Reduced or eliminated | More funds for dining and cultural visits |
| Transport budget | Reduced or eliminated | Lower carbon footprint |
| Regional impact | Increased local spending | Revitalization of undervisited areas |
Frequently asked questions
What exactly is local tourism? It means spending a weekend or a holiday close to home, within roughly 100 km. You (re)discover your own city or region like a real tourist, with a much lower or nonexistent accommodation and travel budget.
Why did local tourism become so popular? Covid pushed many people to travel closer to home, since going far away wasn’t possible. This constraint gave rise to a new way of experiencing travel, often lived as a pleasant discovery.
What are the benefits of local tourism for travellers? Since accommodation and travel costs are reduced, more of the budget can go towards dining and cultural visits. Travellers can treat themselves a little more than usual, while also lowering their environmental footprint thanks to shorter trips.
How does local tourism help regions? By spending locally, in restaurants, shops and cultural sites close to home, you help revive regions that lack tourists. It’s a concrete way to support the people who keep these places running every day.
Do you always have to stay within 100 km of home? This is the most common definition of local tourism, which is mainly about your own city or region. Nothing stops you from adjusting that distance to your own preferences, as long as you stick to nearby, easily reachable destinations without high travel costs.
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