More French companies are opening their doors each year to tourisme d’entreprise – guided visits to businesses that offer a behind-the-scenes look at how products are made.
Also known as tourisme de savoir-faire (craftsmanship tourism) in official terms, it allows visitors to explore companies on site through paid tours.
The sector has grown steadily since the Covid pandemic, mirroring the rise in craft workshops. In 2024, 4,000 companies offered on-site visits – double the number from 2019 – attracting more than 22 million visitors, up 30% in five years. More than 60% of visits were to businesses in the food, drink and alcohol sectors.
On average, each company welcomed 3,500 visitors a year, selling tickets for around €9. Businesses reported an average 30% increase in spending from customers after a tour. Foreigners accounted for 18% of all visitors, while 65% of companies offered services adapted to international audiences.
Some of the most-visited names include EDF, Verrerie de Biot in Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur, Confiserie des Hautes-Vosges in Grand Est, and Cave de Gan Jurançon in Pyrénées-Atlantiques.
“Exceptionnalisme français is no myth,” said Cécile Pierre, chief delegate at Entreprise et Découverte, the association promoting company tourism in France and the source of the figures.
She said three main factors explain the growth. First, the early backing of the French state, which recognised the potential economic impact when Entreprise et Découverte was founded in the early 2000s.
Since then, the association has opened five regional offices, partnered with 11 regions, and teamed up three times with French travel guide Le Routard, which now lists more than 450 companies offering tours.
The second and third factors are companies’ desire to communicate about their products and the public’s curiosity about how things are made.
EDF is the country’s most-visited company, attracting more than 500,000 visitors a year across 130 sites. “It is a new way to revisit France and understand the country,” said Ms Pierre.
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For smaller businesses, the benefits can be dramatic. La Ferme des Cara-Meuh! in Vains, Manche, produces cheese, cream, butter, beer and, most famously, caramels. The eco-friendly farm received 100,000 visitors in 2024, the second-highest attendance for a small company.
Children enjoy a tour at La Ferme des Cara Meuh!, the eco-friendly farm that received 100,000 visitors in 2024
“These visits are what make our business successful,” said co-manager Manon Le Coutour.
The farm began charging for guided tours a decade ago, later creating a walking route for visitors to explore freely. Last year, 10,000 visitors joined paid tours, while 90,000 followed the free trail.
“Our success comes from growth, the sales generated from those 90,000 visitors, customer feedback and our popularity, which now reaches as far as Rennes and Caen,” Ms Le Coutour said. “The farm reinvented itself.”
The sector’s growth potential remains high, Ms Pierre said, but some companies are still reluctant. Reasons include security concerns, doubts about the benefits, and staff discomfort at being observed during their work.
“You get used to it eventually,” Ms Le Coutour noted. “The more days pass, the more you tend to forget about visitors watching.”
