© C-franco-sarracco

Aims and Results

As part of its sustainable tourism strategy, ONLYLYON Tourism and Conventions focusses strongly on involving its members, visitors and local residents through consultation, co-construction and information. 

 

In 2023, Lyon continues to progress in the Global Destination Sustainability Index (GDS-index), with a score of 83%, ranking 13th in the world and 2nd in France.

 

In 2023, Lyon joined the Convention des Entreprises pour le Climat and has published its roadmap CAP 2030.  

 

2021 marked the beginning of a new strategy ‘For More Sustainable Tourism’, in line with Metropole’s Plan for the Development of Sustainable Tourism.

Statue de Saint-Michel sur la basilique de Fourvière et vue sur le Vieux-Lyon © Gaël Fontaine

This co-construction was essential thanks to several consultations carried out jointly by Lyon Metropole and ONLYLYON Tourism & Conventions:

Our aim: identify the expectations and needs of each target segment, in order to support the destination Lyon’s transition to more sustainable tourism.

Our results:

  • Nearly 200 tourism professionals
  • 582 local residents
  • 175 visitors

 

The operational strategy translates into 7 commitments that include 10 of the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals:

 

 

What does more sustainable tourism mean for Lyon and its metropolitan area?

Vue nocturne sur l'Hôtel de ville depuis les Muses de l'Opéra © Tristan Deschamps

 

Beyond respect for the environment, which is of course essential, it is about positively developing the well-being of residents and visitors, making tourism offerings accessible to all, and ensuring the authenticity of the experience by bringing people together.

It is also about enabling each individual to benefit from this practice, as part of a virtuous circle that generates business and meaning for all stakeholders, as well as pride for all people in Lyon, from one-day visitors to long-term residents. A more sustainble stay.

It is about not being afraid to slow down the pace, take time to think, try new things, explore new paths and contribute to change.

 

 

Tourism in Lyon - 2023 key figures 

 

41 000 jobs
in Tourism
9.4 million overnight stays
with the 267 accommodation providers in the metropolitan area
2,3
days as the average length of stay

 

1 850 564 visits to museums and 940 798 visits to tourist attractions
79 552 people guided on our tours and 43 621 Lyon City Cards sold
3,2 million visits to our websites and 99 050 visiteurs au Pavillon de Bellecour

 

210 business tourism events and 226 465 people welcomed
13 campaigns to promote leisure tourism in Lyon, with 188 professionals met and 148 journalists welcomed
212 members informed during the Sustainable Tourism meetings dedicated to the solutions and assistance available

 

 

Objectives and results 2022 

 

1 - Respectful tourism

Sustainable development goal 8 : decent work and economic growth
Sustainable development goal 17: partnerships for the goals

 

 

 

Les 9 Lyon City Helpers

 

Our aim: contribute to individual health and well-being

In order to preserve local living conditions, Lyon is committed to promoting its heritage and ensuring that tourists and local residents live together in harmony, particularly through mediation.

The Tourism Volunteers provide an initial tourist welcome at strategic locations for local, national and international visitors. You can find them, for example, at the entrances of the famous Traboules of Old Lyon, where they ensure that the Charter of Good Practices for visiting the historical site of Lyon is respected.

Our results: since 2011, 92 young people in the French Civic Service programme welcomed, including 5 in 2023

 

2 - Inclusive tourism

Sustainable development goal 11: sustainable cities and communities
Sustainable development goal 10: reduced inequalities

 

 

 

 

Our aim: promote the accessibility of tourism offerings to all audiences and guarantee the authenticity of the experience

Winner of the European Commission’s 2018 Access City Award, the city of Lyon places accessibility at the heart of the urban experience, offering a trip that is open to all audiences, budgets, and preferences.

Visiting Lyon also means sharing moments with its residents. The Greeters de Lyon network has been growing for ten years and promotes a new form of tourism that is more welcoming and based on voluntary work, cultural exchange and generosity.

The completely free ‘Visitez Lyon’ (Visit Lyon) day, run in partnership with leisure service providers, is a chance for residents of the metropolitan area to discover Visitez Lyon tourism products. The 365-day Lyon City Card includes a discounted price to discover 3 activities, combined with a guided tour.

Our results: 
    292 outings organised by Greeters in 2022 / +2% vs 2022
    708 people welcomed by Greeters in 2022 / +16% vs 2022
    515 participants in total over the course of 1 half-price  ‘Visitez Lyon’ day 
    2914 "365-day Lyon City Cards" sold in 2023

3 - Tourism that promotes low-impact transport

 

Sustainable development goal 3: good Health
Sustainable development goal 11: sustainable cities and communities
Sustainable development goal 10: reduced inequalities
Sustainable development goal 13: climate Action

 

 

 

 

Our aim: respect the environment by working to improve our impacts and curb the effects of climate change

Low-impact transport (cycling, rollerblading, walking, etc.) is becoming increasingly popular in the Lyon Metropole. The growth of cycle tourism is a strategic development for the city, which is located at the crossroads of two major cycling routes, namely the Viarhôna, which goes from Geneva to the Mediterranean, and la Voie Bleue - Saône-Moselle, linking Luxembourg and Lyon.

Since 2019, ONLYLYON Tourist office and Convention Bureau has rolled out the national label, Accueil Vélo. This label promotes professionals in the tourism industry that are involved with helping cycle tourists find accommodations, restaurants, sites, rental companies and repair shops, offering guidance to help them meet their specific needs.

Our results:
    4 communication campaigns on tourism options using green transport in Lyon
    58 organisations certified by the ‘Accueil Vélo’ (Cyclists Welcome) quality label at the end of 2023

 

4 - Reasoned tourism

Sustainable development goal 13: climate Action
Sustainable development goal 17: partnerships for the goals
Sustainable development goal 8 : decent work and economic growth
Sustainable development goal 15: life on land
Sustainable development goal 2 : zero hunger
Sustainable development goal 12: responsible consumption and production

 

 

 

 

Our aim: respect the environment by working to reduce our impacts, mitigate the effects of climate change and encourage responsible and local consumption.

ONLYLYON also began devising its Sustainable Purchasing policy in Autumn 2021, to bring all of its partners and suppliers on board in a sustainable approach. 
Furthermore, ONLYLYON Tourism assists accommodation providers, restaurant owners, cultural and leisure activity providers, stay organisers and event planners with the environmental certification process. In 2021, consultations and a needs analysis were carried out to establish an environmental certification assistance programme

In parallel, the Convention Bureau and Sustainable Tourism teams released 2 essential tools for the transition to sustainable event planning in Lyon, a handy guide including a To-do-list and Check-list, identifying all solutions available for responsible and local consumption.

Diversifying the offering for visitors and spreading visitor flows throughout the territory remain leading aims for the destination. ONLYLYON Tourism is committed to developing new guided tours with the Tour Guides Bureau and all tour operators within its territory. 

Our results:
    Analysis of ONLYLYON’s carbon footprint -24% 2022 vs 2019
    94 sustainable solutions and initiatives in the To-Do-List for Environmentally Sustainable Events in Lyon

 

 

5 - Sustainable tourism

Sustainable development goal 15: life on land
Sustainable development goal 14: life below water
Sustainable development goal 17: partnerships for the goals
Sustainable development goal 13: climate Action

 

 

 

 

Our aim: together with all stakeholders, build more sustainable tourism in Lyon and its metropolitan area

In 2019, Lyon entered the GDS-Index (Global Destination Sustainability Index), a performance improvement scheme aimed at making the business and leisure tourism sectors more sustainable. 
In 2021, the commitment made by Greater Lyon and ONLYLYON Tourism led to an analysis of consultations and awareness-raising among tourism professionals, as well as the formulation of Greater Lyon’s Plan for the Development of Sustainable Tourism and ONLYLYON Tourism's Long-term Operational Strategy. 

Our results:
    9 ONLYLYON events dedicated to Sustainable Tourism – 209 participants
    Online consultation on  www.tourisme-different.com – more than 690 participants in 2023
    ISO certification: 10 service providers in the territory  certified ISO 20121
   Training of ONLYLYON Tourism teams on the components of Sustainable Tourism – 70 employees

 

6 - Local tourism 

Box de recyclage des Lyon City Cards © DR / ONLYLYON Tourisme et Congrès

Our aimcontribute to individuals’ health and well-being, promote the accessibility of tourism offerings for all audiences, and guarantee the authenticity of the experience had by bringing people together in a friendly environment.

For several years now, ONLYLYON Tourism has been focussed on the development of local offerings for residents and has deployed several tools with this in mind.

The Lyon City Card 365 is a variation of the classic Lyon City Card, specifically designed for Lyon’s residents. The pass allows you to discover 3 cultural or touristic activities over a year, and includes a guided tour to (re)discover the city!

À la lyonnaise, a new magazine created by ONLYLYON Tourism for everybody in Lyon, from one-day visitors to long-term residents. A website, social network profiles and a magazine to promote the metropolitan area’s offering for visitors and residents, including leisure, restaurants, events and more…

Our results:
    3,2M visitors to our sites in 2023
    5 000 leisure and events offerings for local residents
    160 000 À la lyonnaise magazines distributed throughout the territory (4 per year)
    14% of visitors to the Tourist Office come from the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region

 

7 - Innovative tourism

Sustainable development goal 17: partnerships for the goals

 

 Our aim: develop the local economy and local jobs

Lyon uses innovation and digitalisation to enhance the quality of the customer experience in order to ensure that a trip to Lyon is an unforgettable one! As such, ONLYLYON Tourisme has launched a ground-breaking initiative, the only one of its kind in Europe: ONLYLYON Expérience, a destination CRM that aims to build an emotional, long-lasting and profitable relationship with local, national and international visitors. ONLYLYON Expérience draws on ONLYLYON Tourism’s customer databases as well as those of its partners, such as hoteliers and activity providers, in order to offer quality digital support to all who visit. One of the objectives of the initiative is to better disperse the flow of Lyon’s visitors by encouraging them to discover places off the beaten track.

Our results: 302 097 subscribers to our newsletters

 

8 - Peaceful tourism

Sustainable development goal 3: good Health
Charte Sérénité 2022 - Ensemble, pour prendre soin de vous / ONLYLYON Tourisme et Congrès

Our aim: participate in the well-being and good health of people

In 2020, the Lyon Metropole and ONLYLYON Tourisme joined forces to create the “Peace of Mind Charter, Together to care for each other”. This commitment charter is intended for all of the city’s professionals who are involved in welcoming visitors, such as accommodation providers, restaurant owners, site managers and other shopkeepers. The goal is to provide support to visitors through each step of their trip, in regard to the mandated health measures for Covid-19, and to help them identify socially-committed businesses throughout Lyon thanks to a specific logo. This specific Charter was designed for the long term and will be updated annually according to the development of the public health situation and responsible actions taken by the destination’s stakeholders.

Our results: more than 1500 signatories to the Charter since 2020

 


Our 2024 actions to follow

  • Promote our sustainable tourism ambition for the destination, in order to bring on board and inspire tourism professionals.
  • Deploy the action plan in line with the long-term strategy.
  • Assist all stakeholders in the metropolitan area’s tourism ecosystem with the transition, through training and awareness-raising, as well as identification of approaches, certifications, funding and tools available.
  • Deploy inclusive quality labels: ‘Tourisme et Handicap’ (Tourism and Disabilities), ‘Accueil Vélo’ (Cyclists Welcome).
  • Renew our Carbon Footprint, our ISO20121 certification and our "Engagé RSE" certification (CSR) with AFNOR.
  • Improve our score in the GDS-Index 

 

 Download our 2021 Sustainable Tourism Report