Saint-Marcellin Vercors tourism: visitor numbers up 45.8% in 2025, the full figures

Saint-Marcellin Vercors tourism had a strong year in 2025, according to the annual report published by the area’s tourist office. Its three visitor information centres welcomed 22,948 people, 45.8% more than in 2024. Overnight stays in paid accommodation rose by 9% and declared tourist tax reached €250,923. Behind these figures lie concrete choices: a mobile information desk, a heavily used website and a village showcased on national television. Here is what other local authorities can learn from it.

The Saint-Marcellin Vercors Isère tourist office covers a rural area in the south of the Isère département (a French administrative area similar to a county), between the Isère valley and the Vercors mountains, south-west of Grenoble. It runs three information centres: Saint-Marcellin, Saint-Antoine-l’Abbaye and Pont-en-Royans. Its 2025 activity report, published in 2026, sets out visitor numbers, revenue and actions. All the figures quoted here come from that report.

How many visitors came to Saint-Marcellin Vercors in 2025?

First, face-to-face visits jumped. The three centres received 22,948 visitors, up 45.8% on the previous year. The Saint-Antoine-l’Abbaye centre alone welcomed 15,896 of them. In addition, the office handled 4,637 remote enquiries: 2,910 phone calls, 934 emails and 793 live chats.

536,000 overnight stays in total across the area, up 4.4%;
218,850 overnight stays in paid accommodation (hotels, campsites, holiday lets and so on), up 9%;
€250,923 in declared tourist tax (a small per-night charge paid by visitors and collected by local councils);
Visitor satisfaction: an average score of 8.9 out of 10 and a Net Promoter Score of 62.

A sunlit limestone cliff above a forest — Limestone cliffs are one of the area’s landscape assets. Photo: Guillaume de Germain / Unsplash

A mobile desk to reach visitors where they are

One of the easiest initiatives to copy is « outreach » welcome. In 2025, the office ran 50 mobile sessions, totalling 283 hours at busy spots. As a result, 2,737 extra visitors got information without the cost of a new office. The team also recruited and trained three seasonal advisers to cope with the extra demand.

How much do guided tours and the shop bring in?

Individual guided tours: 1,109 participants, €9,442.10 in revenue;
Group tours: 2,089 participants, €19,722;
Shop: €6,477.15 including VAT, up 28.75%;
Online marketplace (bookings for activities and stays): 822 sales worth €102,384, down 31.7%.

That last figure is a reminder that an online sales tool does not guarantee growth on its own. Indeed, it depends heavily on what local providers put up for sale.

What role for Saint-Marcellin Vercors tourism businesses?

The office works with 200 partner businesses, 150 based in the area and 50 outside it. However, there were 224 in 2024. Partner packages brought in €24,880 including VAT, and advertising €22,496. Moreover, the office monitors online reviews for 317 establishments, with 7,287 reviews collected in 2025.

For a tourist destination, this relationship with hotels, restaurants and attractions is strategic. It also shapes, for example, how the tourist tax is collected. For another example of a local destination’s results, see our Gassin tourism review.

A green mountain under a blue sky, a mid-mountain landscape — The area relies on its mid-mountain landscapes. Photo: Lucie Coste / Unsplash

Digital and media coverage drive awareness

The office’s website attracted 132,000 users in 2025, 13% more than in 2024, and more than 300,000 clicks from Google. Likewise, on social media it has 13,800 followers on Facebook, 7,100 on Instagram and 1,360 on LinkedIn. In addition, 90 articles or reports were devoted to the area.

Finally, two operations stood out. On the one hand, Saint-Antoine-l’Abbaye took part in « Le Village préféré des Français » (France’s favourite village), a popular TV contest broadcast on 2 July on France 3 to 2 to 2.5 million viewers, generating more than 100 press articles. On the other hand, the summer online contest drew 14,132 participants and the digital Advent calendar 5,644 unique players.

What about trade fairs?

The office also promoted the area at consumer shows, including the Salon du randonneur, a hiking fair (12,600 visitors), and the Lyon Street Food Festival (45,000 visitors), according to the attendance figures for these events given in the report.

Saint-Marcellin Vercors tourism: a snow-covered massif surrounded by forests — A snow-covered massif and its forests in winter. Photo: Pierre Ducher / Unsplash

How is the Saint-Marcellin Vercors tourist office funded?

According to the report, the organisation relies mainly on public money. Thus, its operating subsidy accounts for 58.9% of revenue, ahead of other management income (22.7%) and sales (8.7%). On the spending side, staff costs make up 53.5% and running costs 34.9%. The office also printed 57,400 brochures for €27,511 including VAT.

For comparison with a larger city, see our Lille tourism figures, or read this article in French.

Saint-Marcellin Vercors tourism: key takeaways

22,948 visitors at the three information centres in 2025, up 45.8%;
218,850 overnight stays in paid accommodation (+9%) and €250,923 in declared tourist tax;
50 mobile sessions reached 2,737 additional visitors;
200 partner businesses, compared with 224 in 2024;
Online sales down 31.7%, despite higher visitor numbers;
A public subsidy covering 58.9% of revenue.

Sources: Saint-Marcellin Vercors Isère Tourisme, 2025 activity report, accessed on 4 November 2026. Featured photo: Sebastian S / Unsplash.