Gîtes, Airbnb rentals and concierge services are exploding in Puy-en-Velay, the new Eldorado of green tourism

In 2025, the Puy-en-Velay agglomeration (Haute-Loire) reached an unprecedented milestone: 522,008 overnight stays were recorded, an increase of 5% compared to 2024. Since 2019, attendance has simply increased almost threefold. The agglomeration alone accounts for 55% of overnight stays in the Haute-Loire department.

For Emmanuel Boyer, director of the Puy-en-Velay Tourist Office, these figures reflect a profound change: “We are observing a quest for nature, roaming and rejuvenation. The territory perfectly meets these expectations. »

Platforms like Airbnb have taken a major place. You just have to walk the streets of the historic center around the cathedral to see the explosion in the number of key boxes at the entrance to buildings. The tourist office has done the math: the platform generated 112,578 reservations, 11.4 million euros in turnover and nearly 220,000 nights, or 42% of the stay fee. “It is a very revealing indicator of real activity,” continues Emmanuel Boyer. “This fee largely finances our tourism activities. It’s a virtuous circle. »

The growth of the Way of Saint-Jacques-de-Compostelle plays a key role, as does the Trail of Saint-Jacques or the Renaissance festivals of the King of the Bird. The season, formerly focused on summer, now stretches from April to October.

Illustration of this incredible boom in Saint-Privat-d’Allier, first stage of the Saint-Jacques. The village has 439 tourist beds for 390 inhabitants! Among the gîte owners, Catherine Richard, 53, and her husband Philippe. They left their luxury gîte in Ain to resume “L’Escargot dans sashell” in 2024. “We fell in love with it. We didn’t expect such enthusiasm,” she confides. Result: +10% annual attendance. “People are looking for authenticity, well-being. We even offer massages and acupuncture to relieve pilgrims. » Open all year round, its 34-bed establishment is full from spring to fall. “We welcome walkers from all over the world. It’s an incredible human experience. »

Residents fear waterlogging

The boom has also attracted Gen’Z. Created in 2025, Hypnos Conciergerie already manages nearly a hundred properties. “We had zero a year ago,” smiles Maxence Combes, 28, co-founder of the structure with Yoann and Justine. “We felt that the market was buoyant, in particular thanks to the Saint-Jacques and the attractive property prices. » Their agency employs around ten seasonal employees. “We have just moved to a 110 m² premises to grow and guarantee ever more pleasant tourist stays.”

But this prosperity is not always unanimous. Some owners are complaining: “Taxes are soaring and there are more and more seasonal rentals,” denounces Richard, who fears mass tourism. In the city center of Puy, some see red at the peak of the season: “When the departures of pilgrims saturate everything, we no longer recognize our city,” whispers a resident of the cathedral.

Emmanuel Boyer wants to be reassuring: “We are working to diversify flows to avoid bottlenecks. » Other projects are already being studied such as the development of the Chemin de Saint-Régis, new routes upstream of Puy and an increased offer of guided tours. It remains to preserve the balance so that success does not become a victim of itself.