In 2024, tourism and events in the Bordeaux metropolitan area enjoyed a year of balance between quality of hospitality and residents’ well-being. The tourist presence remained stable throughout the year, with an increase in business tourism. In line with the commitments to transparency made in 2022, this activity report presents an overview of the actions carried out that year by Bordeaux Tourism & Congress and the Bordeaux Métropole Tourism Department as part of their joint strategy.
75% of targets achieved in 2024
The cohesion of public and private stakeholders around the metropolitan strategy for tourism and events continues to be recognised in Europe and around the world, as evidenced by the city’s 6th place ranking in the Global Destination Sustainability Index in 2024, the benchmark barometer for responsible tourism auditing 104 destinations (1st destination in Southern Europe, in the top 10 since 2020) .
The programme to support the sustainable transition of Bordeaux’s tourism offering (axis 1 of the roadmap) has reached 197 businesses, particularly in the accommodation, activity provider and catering sectors. Four of the city’s museums and the botanical garden are participating in a collective initiative aimed at obtaining the NF Environment certification for visitor sites in 2025. 47% of OTCBM member businesses were eco-certified at the end of the year.
Actions aimed at placing residents at the heart of the destination were developed (axis 2 of the roadmap). New local getaways to discover the city were proposed and promoted on the tourist office various channels, including un Air de Bordeaux. 2024 also saw the first edition of Nordic Walkin’, an urban hike in the city.
Regarding inclusion issues, a working group has been set up at the OTCBM to improve the accessibility of offers for people with disabilities. In addition, 785 people were able to benefit from solidarity tourism offers thanks to the Bordeaux Solid’air program.
The organisers of Bordeaux Fête le Vin reduced the carbon footprint by 8% and waste produced by 15% during the 2024 edition compared to the 2023 edition, among other actions in line with the event’s ISO 20121 certification.
The Bordeaux Convention Bureau has rolled out a comprehensive methodology to support organisers in optimising the impact of their professional events in the Bordeaux region. This methodology includes face-to-face and remote training, delivered in partnership with the ADEME (the national agency for ecological transition), to provide key insights and local solutions ahead of the event (axis 3 of the roadmap).
The economic management of tourism and events (axis 4 of the roadmap) has resulted in the consolidation of promotional activities in local markets, particularly the European market, and the management of two innovative projects related to responsible business tourism.
Through these various results, the metropolitan strategy for sustainable tourism and events contributes to 45 targets of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Goals 8 to 12 are those for which the actions presented are most consolidated.