56% of French people go hiking on holiday🥾
Among the range of leisure activities enjoyed by the French, one trend stands out: **hiking**. According to [an Obsoco study on French leisure activities,](<https://lobsoco.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/LObSoCo-Compagnie-des-Alpes-I-LObservatoire-des-loisirs-I-Communique-de-presse.pdf>) **56% of French holidaymakers** devote a significant part of their vacation to exploring hiking trails. This passion for **walking in the great outdoors** is part of a wider context: **9 out of 10 French people claim to have a passion for at least one leisure activity.**
What's all the fuss about?
Hiking, like other leisure activities, serves as a **catalyst for** **multidimensional fulfillment**. The emotional benefits of leisure activities are manifold: pleasure, a sense of**autonomy**, self-expression, and even **the experience of "flow"**, a state of intense concentration generating a feeling of total mastery and absorption.
Social ties first and foremost
Hiking is particularly popular because it**enriches social life**. It offers the opportunity to share **experiences** with family and friends, and to meet other **enthusiasts**.
In an [interview given to RCF radio](<https://www.rcf.fr/articles/culture/pourquoi-la-marche-rencontre-un-succes-fou-en-france>) in May 2022, Maddy Polomeni, president of the Rando d'Azur association, based in Mandelieu, near Cannes, explained this need for links perfectly:
<quote> "Our hiking club is mainly focused on creating social links, to discover places around us. We have a lot of people who used to walk alone, who have joined our club to make friends and share good times in the great outdoors".</quote>
The best way to rediscover France
The other argument that comes up again and again in the mouths of enthusiasts is the ability of hiking to combine **movement and observation**, most often in wild places, with exceptional views if you manage to climb a little!
Again, this is what Maddy Polomeni had to say:
<quote> "We have the mountains and the sea in the same department. The more time you spend in nature, the more you'll see. The same route changes throughout the year. We're always amazed.</quote>
Find out more
Read the study by[L'Observatoire du rapport des Français aux loisirs, published in March 2021](<https://lobsoco.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/LObSoCo-Compagnie-des-Alpes-I-LObservatoire-des-loisirs-I-Communique-de-presse.pdf>)
