Abstract

The Tour de France (TDF) cycling race has become the world’s biggest annual sporting event. Every July, it attracts approximately 11 million tourists along the roadsides of France, as well as several millions of TV spectators worldwide. Using MacCannell’s sight sacralization process, this study examines the gradual development of the TDF as a major economic tourist attraction. By deconstructing how the TDF became a tourist attraction, the goal of this article is to reveal economic and sustainability implications for communities in hosting such a mega event. The article suggests that the TDF, both as a sporting event and a top tourist attraction, represents an opportunity for local development and economies in the form of short-term peaks in hospitality, direct financial benefits, as well as in the promotion of cycling as a sustainable means of transportation. The study also explores how challenging hosting a stage of the TDF can become in terms of environmental sustainability for remote and rural communities.