Culture is as attractive as ever

Cultural tourism accounts for almost 40% of all tourist activity in Europe, and the UNWTO hopes to see this proportion increase further in the years to come. Moreover, cultural tourists spend 38% more per day and stay 22% longer than other tourists. The four European countries with a rich cultural heritage are France, Italy, Germany and the United Kingdom.

On a global scale, cultural tourism was valued at 556.96 billion dollars in 2021 and is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 3.8% between 2022 and 2030 by Future Market Insights. This growth is mainly due to initiatives taken by governments to promote culture, such as the United Nations making 2018 the European Year of Cultural Heritage. Furthermore, culture is inextricably linked with art, and according to a report published by Future Market Insights, this market will be worth $43 billion by 2022. Sales are expected to increase at an average annual growth rate of 2%, with the size of the art tourism market reaching $52.42 billion by 2032.

This appetite for art is reflected in a rebound in visitor numbers to museums and other cultural sites in Paris, following two years of roller-coaster activity due to the health crisis. With 7.8 million visitors in 2022, the Louvre will see "a 170% increase on 2021 thanks to the return of foreign visitors, but 19% fewer than in 2019 (9.6 million)" despite the virtual absence of Asian tourists due to the fact that borders are closed at this time of year.

The Château de Versailles will also see its corridors filled again in 2022, with 6.9 million visitors, 16% fewer than in 2019. Other museums are also approaching their pre-Covid attendance levels, such as the Musée d'Orsay, which had 3.2 million visitors...