Figures, stats and analyses

Lyon is the second biggest tourist destination in France, with 6 million visitors per year (66% business and 34% leisure tourism).

Last updated date : 16/05/2024

Key figures for Greater Lyon

  • 3rd metropolis in France
  • 1.4 million inhabitants in the metropolis
  • 58 towns
  • €74.6 million GDP (Metropole in 2018)

The tourism industry in Lyon Metropole

Jobs

  • 41,000 jobs in the tourism industry (2022)

Accommodation

  • Offering: 272 accommodation providers (2023)
  • 19,522 hotel rooms available (2023)
  • Guest numbers: 9,4 millions overnights, including 5.4 millions hotel overnights (2023) 

Customer breakdown

  • Accommodation: 74% French customers and 26% foreign customers (2023)
    Overseas visitors' Top 5 (accommodation)
    1. United Kingdom
    2. Switzerland
    3. Germany
    4. Belgium
    5. Italy
  • ONLYLYON Tourist Office: 45.5% French customers and 54.5% foreign customers (2023)
    Overseas visitors' Top 5
    1. Spain (15 %)
    2. United States (11%)
    3. Germany (11%)
    4. United Kingdom (9%)
    5. Italy (8%)

Culture

Gastronomie 

  • 21 traditional restaurants with the quality label "Bouchons Lyonnais" 
  • 19 Michelin-starred restaurants

Museums  

31 museums in the metropolitan area 

1 850 564 admissions in 2023 

Top 5 most visited museums:

  • Musée des Confluences 
  • Musée des Beaux-Arts (Fine arts museum)
  • Musée Cinéma & Miniature
  • Lugdunum Musée & Théâtres romains 
  • Gadagne 

Discovery and leisure activities 

940,798 admissions in 2023

Top 5 most visited:

  • Aquarium de Lyon 
  • Les Bateaux Lyonnais 
  • Mini World Lyon 
  • Guided tours by ONLYLYON Tourism
  • Planetarium 

Festivals 

  • Festival of Lights - 2 million visitors 
  • Dance Biennial – 215,465 festival-goers 
  • Nuits de Fourvière - 166,000 spectators 
  • Lumière Festival - 166,000 spectators
  • Nuits Sonores – 102,000 festival-goers 
  • Lyon Street Food Festival – 45,000 festival-goers 

Transport 

  • Rail: 55 million passengers in the 3 stations (2023)
  • Air: 73% international traffic at Lyon-Saint Exupéry Airport, with 10 million passengers (2023)

Vélo’v 

  • 10,15 million Vélo’v rentals 
  • 448 stations in 22 towns 

Cycle-tourism

1175 km of cycle paths; 2 cycle routes – ViaRhôna and Voie Bleue.

Car and car-sharing

  • 842 car-sharing vehicles available in the metropolitan area 
  • 5 labelled car-sharing services 
  • 200 Izivia Grand Lyon public charging stations 

Business tourism (in 2023)

  • 2nd city for events
  • 210 events hosted (+4.48% vs previous year), including 36% association congresses, 33% trade shows and fairs, and 31% meetings and conventions.
  • 39% association congresses in the sectors of healthcare, medicine and life sciences.
  • 31% of meetings and conventions have a regional audience.
  • 5 trade shows attracted more than 60% of visitors: SIRHA, Equita, Lyon Fair, Salon du 2 Roues (2 wheel trade fair) and Epoqu'Auto (vintage cars and cycles). 

Sources: Database of MKG Hospitality - CCI Lyon
Lyon Airport / ONLYLYON Tourism and Conventions / SNCF
Data collected in 2023.
city-trends.fr/lyon  

Lyon in the rankings

Lyon came among the top few in several international rankings:

  • 2nd French city for congresses in the ICCA 2022 ranking
  • 11th city in the World  in the GDS-Index (Global Destinations Sustainability index)
  • Lyon in the top of “The hottest foodie destinations in Europe right now” 

See more rankings:

Lyon City Card
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