The region of Occitania, founded in 2016, covers a large chunk of South-West France. Lying between the Mediterranean sea and the Pyrenees, with Toulouse and Montpellier as its main cities, this region is one of Europe's top tourism destinations.
In France, Occitania also ranks 1st in the category of total number of French tourists, ahead of Provence Alpes-Côte d'Azur and behind Nouvelle Aquitaine. It ranks 4rd in the category of total numbers of foreign tourists (in hotels and campsites), with 30 million visitors per year.
Occitania ranks 4th among French tourism regions in the category of total spending by tourists, taking in 14 billion euros per year, a sum equal to 10% of regional GDP.
The tourism sector in our region employs 120,000 people. It's the region's 2nd biggest industry, ahead of construction and the aeronautical industry, and close on the heels of the agri-food sector.
Occitania ranks 1st in France in terms of tourism capacity: with its 6.0 million beds, this region beats all the others.
It logs 27.9 million nights in outdoor accommodation (1st place in the country) and 15.2 million nights in hotel-style accommodation (ranking 4th in France).
Occitania is the top health resort destination in France, with around 136,000 people per year visiting 28 spa establishments, which constitutes about 1/3 of the national market in the health resort sector.
Practical information
The numbers cited on this page are those of the year 2023. Sources: SDT Sofrès – DGE, Banque de France, EVE survey – INSEE – Direction du Tourisme de la Région Occitanie – Acoss / Urssaf / CNETH / Departmental and regional observatories.
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