Tag: France

4May By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments

Editor's Pick, Holidays & Trips

Cycling holidays inspired by Tour de France and 2024 Olympics

The eyes of the sporting world will be firmly fixed on France this summer as it hosts the Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games and the 111th edition of the Tour de France – cycling’s most iconic road cycling event. For cyclists and active travel enthusiasts looking to experience their own sporting adventure in France this year, independent cycling holiday company Saddle Skedaddle has a range of road cycling trips that combine highlights of Le Tour with the country’s stunning landscapes and scenery. To mark this year’s Grand Depart in Florence and Italy’s Emilia-Romagna region, Saddle Skedaddle is also offering a relaxed, self-guided leisure cycling holiday that takes riders on a culinary tour of the Emilia-Romagna region – from Cremona in the north, to Bologna in the south. Tackle...

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25Nov By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments

Events

Sport in France in 2024: major events and sporting highlights

France is getting ready for a bumper year of tourism and sport in 2024 with a number of new and exciting openings, exhibitions, sustainable tourism initiatives, and major anniversaries on the calendar. The country is also in the final preparation stages of hosting its biggest ever event, the Paris 2024 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games. Here we take a look at the sporting highlights in France in 2024.  SPOT24: new urban sport and culture hub with Olympic exhibition  Paris, Île-de-France: until 31 December 2024 Paris je t'aime (the Paris Tourist Office) has set up a new hybrid venue showcasing urban sport, culture and Olympism. Serving as a tourist information point, Olympics ticket office and official shop, alongside a café dedicated to Parisian products, SPOT24 also com...

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25Nov By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments

Sports Business

World Ski Awards 2023: Val Thorens again named world’s best ski resort 

Val Thorens in the French Alps was named as the “best ski resort in the world” for the eighth time in 11 years at the annual World Ski Awards. The highest ski resort in Europe at 2,300m, Val Thorens is part of Les 3 Vallées, the world’s largest interconnected ski area with 600km of pistes and 162 lifts. Vincent Lalanne, director of Val Thorens Tourist Office, said: “This award represents the hard work of all resort staff whom I would like to salute for their involvement, teamwork and imagination. We're very proud to win again and I would like to thank our customers from all over the world for their unfailing support. We're dedicated to delivering excellence and continually developing the resort to ensure a fantastic holiday experience for everyone." Val Thorens celebrated its 50th a...

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6Nov By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments

Editor's Pick, Sports Business

2024 Olympics to boost tourism spending in Paris by up to €4bn

An extra three million people are expected in Paris for the Olympic Games in 2024 increasing tourism spending by up to €4bn, according to Euromonitor International.  The successful Rugby World Cup, which has just played out in Paris and across France, served as a dress rehearsal for next summer’s games which will bring many opportunities, but also challenges for the French tourism industry. With a forecasted four billion global television audience, the country will be front and centre in the worldwide spotlight.  A well-executed Paris 2024 could skyrocket the profile of France, already at the top of Euromonitor International’s Top 100 City Destinations Index for 2022, as a destination from 2025.  Alexander Göransson, senior consultant at Euromonitor International, said in his rep...

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2024 Côte Chalonnaise Wine Marathon, Burgundy

Held in the vineyards and villages of Burgundy in France, the 2024 Côte Chalonnaise Wine Marathon will take place on Saturday 23 March. Starting and finishing in Givry, the event features a number of race distances including the full marathon, half marathon and a 10km. There will also be the “MARA3”, a race with three runners with the first runner on the 42km, the second for the 21km and third on 10km. All three runners will then finish together.  Throughout the course there will be refreshments and runners are encouraged to compete in fancy dress. There will also be a wine market all weekend with Givry wines on sale. You can register for the event at marathondesvinsdelacotechalonnaise.fr  For more information and hotels see: Event: marathondesvinsdelacotechalonnaise.fr Hotel...

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24Aug By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments

Holidays & Trips

Scenic to host Paris-Seine sporting legends cruise ahead of 2024 Olympics

Cruise guests can sail with two of Great Britain’s finest Olympians, Steve Redgrave and Daley Thompson, on a round trip from Paris, just weeks before the French capital city welcomes the 2024 Summer Olympic Games. The special-edition “sporting legends” sailing, hosted by Scenic Luxury Cruises and Tours, will be held from 8-15 July 2024. During the eight-day sailing guests will get the opportunity to join a private question-and-answer session with Thompson and Redgrave. The duo, who have won seven Olympic medals between them, will also join guests for an exclusive concert at Château de La Roche Guyon, where they will share Olympic memories and reveal what it takes to be a champion.  Scenic’s eight-day cruise, starting and finishing in Paris, calls at Cornflans, Rouen, Hornfleur,...

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30Jul By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments

Events, Sports Travel

Rugby World Cup: Place de la Concorde will host the Paris Rugby Village

Parisian landmark Place de la Concorde will host a village dedicated to rugby throughout the 2023 Rugby World Cup, which takes place in France from 8 September to 28 October. Pierre Rabadan, deputy mayor of Paris in charge of sport, the Olympic and Paralympic Games and the Seine, unveiled the "Paris Rugby Village" programme and the city’s accessibility and eco-responsibility commitments. The Paris Rugby Village will include a rugby entertainment and promotional area, plus two giant screens to broadcast RWC matches. And the number of screens will increase to four for the opening match on 8 September between France and New Zealand. Visitors can enjoy entertainment and discovery areas, photo booths, the official France 2023 shop, exhibitions, and a central stage that will host the ope...

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31May By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments

Events, Sports Travel

100 days to go until the Rugby World Cup 2023 in France

Celebrations are taking place throughout France to mark the 100-day countdown to the start of the Rugby World Cup 2023. With a little under three months to go until the 20 nations arrive in France, final preparations are underway for rugby union’s 200th birthday party. There will be 48 matches taking place across ten host destinations: Bordeaux, Lille, Lyon, Marseille, Nantes, Nice, Paris, Saint-Denis, Saint-Etienne and Toulouse. Hosts France will face New Zealand in the opening match of the tournament at the 80,698-capacity Stade de France in Saint-Denis on Friday 8 September. The Rugby World Cup final will be played on Saturday 28 October 2023, also at the Stade de France. On Tuesday 30 May, the Webb Ellis Cup arrived in Paris on an Emirates A380 with bespoke Rugby World Cup 2023 ...

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26May By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments

Events, Sports Travel

Event in focus: 24 Hours of Le Mans Centenary

The French department of Sarthe is gearing up to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the iconic 24 Hours of Le Mans race, which takes place from 10-11 June 2023 (4pm to 4pm) at the Circuit de la Sarthe.  First run in 1923, the endurance race is part of the “triple crown” of motor sport – alongside the Indianapolis 500 and F1 Monaco Grand Prix. Expect an epic battle between Toyota, Ferrari (back in the top-tier category after a 40-year hiatus), Porsche (record holder for the most Le Mans wins), Peugeot and Cadillac.  To mark the centenary, the 24 Hours Museum on the circuit is hosting a special exhibition (1 June-2 July) of 86 cars that have either won the race or left a mark on its history.  Event organisers have also announced that after record sales, all ticket...

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16May By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments

Guides, Holidays & Trips, Sports Travel

An active summer in Portes du Soleil

Portes du Soleil is a ski and biking region of the Alps that covers the neighbouring French Chablais and Swiss Valais. The region features 12 resorts – including Avoriaz, Champéry, Les Gets and Morzine – and offers a range of summer activities such as mountain biking, cycling, hiking, trail running and yoga. Portes du Soleil is a popular destination for a sporty summer holiday, we take a look at the highlights.  Portes du Soleil’s 12 resorts The 12 French and Swiss resorts in the Portes du Soleil region are located between Mont Blanc and Lake Geneva:  France: Morzine, Avoriaz, Châtel, Les Gets, Montriond, La Chapelle-d’Abondance, Abondance, Saint-Jean-d'Aulps Switzerland: Champéry, Val-d’Illiez-Les Crosets-Champoussin, Torgon, Morgins Mountain biking An inter...

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8Apr By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments

Events, Guides, Sports Travel

Cycling in Morzine 2023: Tour de France, Bike Week and more 

Sitting at 1,000m altitude, the French mountain village of Morzine, part of the Portes du Soleil, has a wide range of activities and experiences on offer throughout summer. Not only is it a sporting hub, with the Tour de France returning for the 22nd time, but it’s also a place where visitors can enjoy nature and the great outdoors.  Unlike many other skiing destinations, Morzine has 3,000 permanent residents, meaning it remains a vibrant hub during the warmer months. Guests can make the most of 52 bars and restaurants, 34 hotels, 80 retailers, 21 chairlifts and cable cars across Morzine and Portes du Soleil, 200km of signed cycling trails, and 15 mapped mountain bike routes. Visitors can also spot 132 cows, 50 goats and 20 pigs, plus more than 1,000 species of flora.   He...

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24Oct By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments

Sports Travel

Les Sables-d’Olonne: capitalising on sailing and ocean racing

by Ramy James Salameh For Les Sables d'Olonne sport has brought global attention to this elegant seaside town in western France. Settled on the shores of the Atlantic coast, the destination has become the world capital of single-handed ocean racing, home of the Vendée Globe and Golden Globe solo round-the-world sailing races. The latter is described as the father of solo round-the-world events, one for the sailing purists, placing man and not machine at the heart of maritime exploration, while the equally demanding Vendée Globe uses state-of-the-art technology and equipment, but with no less guile, determination and fortitude.  A dedicated race village opens to the public at Esplanade du Vendée Globe weeks prior ...

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30Jul By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments

Guides, Sports Travel

Val d’Isère summer sports guide: e-biking, walking, hiking and more

Sports fanatics looking for an active summer break need look no further than the striking alpine town of Val d’Isère in France. Typically thought of as a snow-capped winter destination, Val d’Isère transforms in the summer months to offer a whole range of sporting activities in the beautiful mountainous landscape, from exciting e-bike routes and trail running packages to forest adventure courses and lake-side yoga.  Summer’s hottest sport Noticing an ongoing demand for e-biking, Val d’Isère has committed to boosting its e-bike offering through developing new trails, bike sharing schemes, and hosting an E-Bike Festival from 29-31 July which will see long distance races, discovery rides, including a gourmet ride where food lovers can explore the area whilst trying fresh local produ...

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Paris 2024 Summer Paralympic Games

After the Summer Olympic Games, the French capital city of Paris will then host the Paralympics from Wednesday 28 August until Sunday 8 September 2024. Paris 2024 will be the largest event ever organised in the country and it promises to be an inclusive, interactive and sustainable celebration of sport. For the games, the most fantastic sites and monuments in Paris, and in France in general, are to be transformed into breathtaking settings to host the world’s greatest sporting event. These iconic venues, resulting from an unlikely fusion between sport and France’s rich heritage, will see jaw-dropping performances from the finest athletes. They offer a unique experience to all involved in the Games – the athletes, the spectators on site, and the millions watching on television around the...

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Paris 2024 Summer Olympic Games

The 2024 Summer Olympic Games will be held in the French capital city Paris from Friday 26 July until Sunday 11 August 2024. Taking place exactly 100 years after France’s last summer games, Paris 2024 will be the largest event ever organised in the country. It promises to be an inclusive, interactive and sustainable celebration of sport: the first fully gender-balanced and carbon-neutral Olympics, featuring the first-ever Olympic events open to general public participation. The games will extend to the cities of Nantes, Bordeaux, Lyon, Nice and Marseille, as well as the island of Tahiti in French Polynesia. The event will use 100% renewable energy, track its carbon footprint and make use of 95% of existing venues, such as Versailles for equestrian events and the Champ de Mars (beneath ...

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21Nov By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments

Events, Guides, Sports Travel

France 2022 sports events: Le Tour, French Open, Le Mans and more

Here we look at the calendar of major sporting events taking place in France in 2022. The schedule includes events such as cycling’s Tour de France, the French Open tennis grand slam and the 24 Hours of Le Mans. It’s set to be a busy few years ahead for French sport with the country hosting the men’s Rugby World Cup in 2023 and the capital city Paris hosting the summer Olympics and Paralympics in 2024.   2022 at a glance  18 December 2021-27 March 2022: Ski train returns to connect London with the Alps2022: 50th anniversary of ski resort Isola 20006 February-19 March: Six Nations rugby 14-20 March: FIS Alpine Ski World Cup Finals, Courchevel and Méribel16 May-5 June: French Open tennis grand slam27-28 May: European Rugby Challenge Cup and Heineken Champions Cup fin...

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Tennis grand slam: 2024 French Open Roland Garros

The 2024 French Open, the second tennis grand slam of the year, will take place from 20 May to 9 June 2024 at Stade Roland Garros in Paris, France. Played on Roland Garros's iconic clay courts, the world's best tennis players will feature including defending champions Novak Djokovic and Iga Świątek. For event information and hotels see: Official website and tickets: rolandgarros.com Hotels in Paris: Expedia | Hotels.com City breaks in Paris: LastMinute.com https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w8zju9rgl5M   Editor’s note: Sports Tourism Media works with a number of affiliate partners. Products are sold directly by agents and operators. We may earn a commission should you choose to book any tickets or packages.

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28Feb By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments

Events

Rugby World Cup 2023 fixtures: France vs. All Blacks in blockbuster opener

World Rugby and the France 2023 Organising Committee have announced the match schedule and venues for the 2023 Rugby World Cup in France. The expanded eight-week international rugby union festival, which takes place across nine cities, will kick-off with a blockbuster opening clash between host nation France and three-time champions New Zealand at the Stade de France on 8 September 2023. Rugby World Cup 2023 will be a “truly nationwide tournament involving all of France”, World Rugby said in a news release. “Each host city will host a minimum of four games and welcome at least one RWC 2019 quarter-finalist, reinforcing its commitment to unite the whole country through rugby fever.” In line with the mission to make the tournament the most accessible Rugby World Cup to date and att...

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11May By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments

Events, Guides

Vendée Globe 2020: an epic sailing race with a wave of tourism opportunities

By Sports Tourism Media co-editor Ramy Salameh At 12.02pm GMT on 8 November 2020, 34 competitors of the Vendée Globe race will sail non-stop, unassisted, around the world via three capes and three oceans in an effort to complete one of the most demanding and prestigious events within the sailing and sporting calendar.  The procession of race boats will pass thousands of fans lining the legendary “Vendée Globe” channel in Les Sables-d’Olonne, western France, initiating the start of a gruelling race that will test the physical and mental endurance of those courageous and talented enough to take part. It is so demanding that over the last 30 years and eight editions of the race, 167 sailors have set off but only 89 have crossed the finish line. To further put this into perspective, ...

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23Jan By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments

Sports Business, Sports Travel

Rugby World Cup 2023: Groupe Couleur to manage official travel agent selection process

World Rugby and the France 2023 organising committee have announced that Groupe Couleur has been appointed as exclusive global rights holder for the Rugby World Cup 2023 official travel programme. Groupe Couleur will manage the official travel agent appointment process, which kicks off with agents around the world invited to register their interest from now until 31 March 2020. Rugby World Cup 2023 official travel agents will be appointed in September 2020, marking a major milestone for fans planning on attending rugby’s showcase event. Ticket-inclusive packages sales will be launched in early 2021.  Groupe Couleur will manage all operational responsibilities of the official travel programme, from appointing the official travel agents to delivering the tickets and ensuring all marketing...

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