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IN SHORT
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The tourism sector in Lot-et-Garonne positions itself as a pillar of the local economy in 2024, generating an estimated revenue of 350 million euros. This performance is backed by increasing tourist attendance, diverse accommodations, and mainly French visitors. Through this detailed panorama, discover the key figures, the most visited sites, the evolution of accommodation modes, and the main trends shaping tourism in the department.
The year 2024 marks an important milestone for tourism in Lot-et-Garonne, which establishes itself as a true economic engine. According to data provided by the Tourist Development and Reservation Agency, the sector now represents 3% of the economic share of the department. This dynamism translates into record attendance of over 1.4 million visitors, marking an increase of 5.3% compared to 2023, despite a national context marked by reservation uncertainty.
Tourist activity totals nearly 6.1 million annual overnight stays, accounting for 3% of the entire Nouvelle-Aquitaine region. The generated share thus amounts to 350 million euros in direct economic returns in the department, an essential boon for industry professionals and local authorities.
The most attractive tourist sites
The tourist attendance in Lot-et-Garonne is strongly driven by several flagship sites. Walygator, with 291,500 visitors, occupies the first place among the most popular attractions, ahead of the Lac de Clarens leisure base, Aqualand, and the Casteljaloux casino, which surprisingly recorded high attendance in 2024. Bonaguil castle rounds out this prestigious ranking by attracting nearly 64,600 visitors.
The diversity of the leisure and heritage offerings significantly contributes to the richness of the local tourist experience. This attractiveness generates significant visitor flows and promotes value creation at the departmental level.
A varied accommodation offer led by campgrounds
Lot-et-Garonne offers a total capacity of 93,262 tourist beds, split between 33,667 commercial beds and 59,595 non-commercial beds. Outdoor hospitality, particularly campgrounds, stands out as the primary mode of accommodation, representing about a third of the departmental capacity. This predominance is particularly evident in the territories of Cœur de Bastides, while tourism residences have benefited from a renewed surge with the arrival of Center Parcs in the Coteaux et Landes de Gascogne.
Beyond infrastructure, the average length of stay reaches 6.3 days, reflecting the department’s ability to retain its visitors. With a tourist tax of 1.7 million euros collected in 2024 and an average daily expenditure of 57.60 € per person, the sector establishes itself as a central player in regional revenues.
Tourism essentially French, but open to international
Nearly nine tourists out of ten staying in Lot-et-Garonne are of French nationality, mainly from Nouvelle-Aquitaine, Occitanie, and Île-de-France. This hexagonal clientele forms the foundation of the departmental tourism dynamism. However, the presence of international visitors, mainly British, Belgian, and Spanish, enriches the panorama and demonstrates the growing prominence of the territory abroad.
To amplify this opening, ADRT 47 has partnered with neighboring departments, Gers and Tarn-et-Garonne, to pool promotional efforts and attract an international clientele, creating a more coherent and appealing South-West destination.
The trends and practices of vacationers
The main activity practiced during a stay in Lot-et-Garonne remains relaxation, a choice that illustrates the search for rest and serenity in a preserved nature. Vacationers also favor cycling, visiting typical villages – five of which are labeled the Most Beautiful Villages of France® – swimming, and exploring local markets.
These trends reflect an increasing appetite for authenticity and slow tourism, driven by the impact of covid-19 on travel behaviors, even if this effect seems to be waning today. Last-minute bookings also appear as an essential lever for maintaining attendance volumes.
The issues facing the tourism sector in a global context
Like elsewhere, the tourism sector of Lot-et-Garonne must contend with transversal issues such as adapting to societal changes, transforming mindsets, and managing environmental crises, much like the forest fires that concern certain territories, as well as strengthening control measures, such as the example of the QR code system announced in South Korea (learn more).
In this dynamic, it is pertinent to look at the evolution of the tourism sector on an international scale, whether through the rise of the private sector in some countries such as Saudi Arabia, adaptation in the face of worsening natural risks in Canada (see analysis), or the evolution of mindsets in transforming regions, such as Algeria (read the article) and Jordan (learn more).
