Interview. “The image of river tourism is changing for the better.”

Is the early summer heat a boon or a threat to river tourism ?

"It's both a boon and a constraint. When it's hot, we try to find cool spots, so the water reflex comes naturally. On the other hand, water management during droughts is a constraint. And Voies Navigables de France, as infrastructure manager, must develop ways to ensure that tourist activities are organized under the best possible conditions, while being aware that the resource must be shared with its various users."

Riverboats, cruises, pleasure boating without a license... Where do vacationers prefer?

"It's difficult to compare these different offerings because each has its own specific clientele. On hotel barges, 80% of passengers are foreign tourists eager to discover the French way of life. These boats are true ambassadors of local gastronomy and craftsmanship and culture. In charter yachts, we're seeing a growing interest in a younger, more family-oriented clientele. This trend is also evident in river cruising, thanks to new services: for example, sports outings during stopovers likely to attract more active passengers."

River cruising seems to be struggling to hold its own against ocean cruising, which continues to record visitor numbers...

"In the collective imagination, it is undoubtedly more of a dream to sail towards the great ocean spaces even if, sometimes, these behemoths of the sea only skirt the coasts. River travel can still be perceived as slow and boring and this image undoubtedly harms the activity. Fortunately, this perception is changing thanks to the craze for more sustainable tourism , more focused on nature and encounters. In addition, we are recording a very high level of satisfaction from passengers who have experienced a river cruise. The Rhône-Saône sector is doing well with an increase in attendance at the Lyon (+4%) and Avignon (+5%) ports of call. On the Moselle, the development potential is enormous."

Your business ticks all the boxes for "slow tourism." Yet, overall attendance fell by 25% between 2018 and 2024, from 186,000 to 140,000 passengers. How do you explain this?

"Our operators have long relied on a long-established clientele, particularly the English, who invented river tourism. Today, our historic clientele is moving towards other products and, as in other sectors, is more volatile. Regarding pleasure boat rentals, the weekly formula can prove prohibitive in terms of budget. Moreover, the length of stay tends to decrease, from an average of 8 days in 2012 to 6.5 days in 2024; which inevitably has consequences on the number of overnight stays and passengers transported."

Is it also the price that is to blame, with a daily rate of almost 500 euros for renting a houseboat without a license?

"To meet the now very high standards of vacationers, pleasure boats have become very comfortable and very maneuverable. This inevitably comes at a price. Furthermore, the production and operation of boats are quite expensive. Compared to a week of skiing or a seasonal rental in very touristy areas, pleasure boating is not that prohibitive. Especially since operators are also developing more advantageous price offers, particularly off-season or last-minute, or on less popular routes than the Canal du Midi. More generally, the image of river tourism is changing for the better."