Decryption. “It’s changing completely, we can breathe a little more”: rural tourism is regaining its color

For his summer vacation this year, Bertrand, 65, from Chagny (Saône-et-Loire) and who responded to our call for testimonials , chose the Morvan and the Jura. "A haven of peace just to recharge your batteries!" he comments. Could the trend this year be towards vacations in the countryside? "The destinations that are creating surprises for vacation rental stays are all in rural departments in the center of France," observes the vacation rental platform Abritel to our newspaper. On its site, searches for vacation rentals in several rural departments are recording marked increases: Oise (+150%), Loire, Ain and Allier (+80%), Sarthe, Loiret or Vienne (+30%), but also Corrèze or Yonne (+20%).

The same observation was made by Airbnb, which noted a 10% increase compared to last year in bookings for rural stays by the French in the first quarter of 2025. The platform, a third of whose accommodations are located in rural areas, also noted "a 20% increase in searches for rural destinations this summer, compared to 2024."

After the heatwave marked the beginning of summer, the French are flocking to rural areas in search of wide open spaces, peace and quiet, and nature. "The countryside is associated with emptiness, but that's a positive thing. We're going to enjoy the free time, the space and the landscapes, have moments of sociability with the children, reconnect with nature, and take some time off," explains Saskia Cousin, professor of sociology at the University of Paris-Nanterre.

"No need to go far: a few days in the countryside with my three children is enough to recharge my batteries, reconnect, and fill up on peace and quiet and good times," agrees Antoine, 33, a resident of Arc-sur-Tille (Côte-d'Or). "It's a complete change from the city: there are fewer people, there's space for the children to play, we're less on our phones, less in front of the TV, we can breathe a little more," adds the thirty-year-old, who usually spends his summer in Recey-sur-Ource (Côte-d'Or).

"The countryside has regained its rights, its letters of nobility, whereas spending one's holidays in the countryside was something really negative at the time of the Trente Glorieuses, when it was absolutely necessary to go to the seaside," analyzes Philippe Bernez, director of the Federation of Green Resorts, which awards a label, originally created to promote tourism within rural communities.

This resurgence in popularity owes a lot to Covid and the periods of restrictions associated with it: "In the summer of 2020, CSP+ people who were going abroad went to France and rediscovered the countryside . The countryside became visible," recalls Saskia Cousin. "There was a strong awareness of going out to get some fresh air, people rediscovered simple things and the pleasure of discovering local products," adds Philippe Bernez.

"The economic situation has also led people to return to the countryside, because cycling and walking costs practically nothing," emphasizes the president of the Federation of Green Resorts. According to Abritel, rural destinations "offer rentals at rates that are often much more affordable than those on the coast." "Holidaymakers pay an average nightly rental price in July and August that is 20 to 30% lower for accommodations that are often larger and include furnished outdoor spaces," the platform explains.

The territories have also responded to demand by developing their facilities and creating an offer. "Today we have a cycle tour of the Creuse, we have local cycle loops that we have developed with the department and the communities of communes, we have a major mountain bike crossing of the Creuse... It's the result of partnership work between different stakeholders to create an offer that didn't necessarily exist before. And it's exponential: we have between 12 and 20% increase in the number of people using cycle routes between 2023 and 2024," explains Alice Dehureaux, director of Creuse Tourisme.

In five years, the number of nights available for rental in rural areas has nearly doubled, rising from 12,371 nights available in 2019 to 21,730 in 2024, according to data shared by the French Tourism Development Agency (Atout France). And over the same period, more than 50 municipalities have been awarded the Green Resorts Federation label, representing 10% of the network. This bodes well for the coming years for rural tourism.