Decathlon, the company specializing in the sale of sports clothing and equipment, has been expanding into the travel sector since 1993, starting in France. Ten years later, the travel branch closed because it wasn’t working, only to reopen with a more specific idea focused solely on sports and adventure tourism.
It wasn’t a very lucky experience either as the opening took place just as the pandemic took everything away. But because it was an online business, it lasted. With a rather meager turnover, and a volume of 7000 passengers, which is quite low.
Leaving behind the dark years of the pandemic, the company is therefore beginning to benefit from the expansion of tourism. This year it will have reached ten thousand customers, which is starting to become a business of some importance. Its production is mainly focused on mainland France and Corsica. Cycle tourism is the most popular and the Alps, the Pyrenees and Brittany are the regions favored by its customers.
Decathlon is now starting its international expansion, which will make sense for the business, given that the overhead costs are the same. The first imminent stop will be Belgium, but the group does not rule out expanding to other European countries soon.
The emphasis is of course on sport, but also on environmental protection, which is why Decathlon Travel works carefully on the impact on CO2 emissions, a sensitive subject, particularly in France.
https://www.decathlontravel.com/
