Indoor climbing gyms: how to structure a competitive model in 2026?
December 29, 2025
Indoor climbing appeals to the French.
In 2024, 3 million regular climbers were already generating 10 million admissions in some 300 private cinemas. An already dense market, driven by established practices. But that was without taking into account the "JO 2024" effect: +17 % in visitor numbers from September onwards, with a particularly strong following among 15-25 year-olds and in urban areas.
More than just a passing fad, these figures reflect the fact that sporting activities have become part of everyday life, with younger, more regular users and expectations that go beyond the mere practice of sport. Rooms become meeting places, sometimes several times a week.
In a context where the number of openings is multiplying, and where some theaters find themselves in direct competition just a few kilometers away, understanding the reasons behind this craze is becoming a key issue. Uses, profiles, expectations, business models... We take a closer look at a sector that has it all.
Indoor climbing: why is it no longer just for experienced climbers?
01. An accessible sport with no prerequisites
A pair of shorts, a t-shirt and a pair of slippers rented on site, and off you go. Indoor climbing requires no compulsory license and no major financial investment.
You attract beginners, the curious and occasional sports enthusiasts. This accessibility reduces the disincentive to a first visit, and makes it easier to give it a try. This is a significant lever in an economic context where consumers are quick to choose their leisure activities.
02. French people are already accustomed to exercising in a dedicated area
25 % of French people take part in physical activity at a sports facility. Going to a dedicated place is already part of the routine.
Indoor climbing fits in naturally with these uses: after work, at the weekend, with friends. You're not creating a new reflex, you're grafting onto an existing behavior.
03. Regular practice favors subscription models
84 % of climbers practice once a week or more. It's easy to fit practice into the week, like a regular appointment. This frequency can be explained by short sessions, visible progress and an activity that doesn't require heavy preparation.
Against this backdrop, membership is naturally the preferred format, far more than a succession of one-off entries.
04. A sport in tune with today's lifestyles
Indoor climbing meets a number of strong expectations: to move, to progress at your own pace, to feel good physically without pressure to perform.
It is also in line with values and preoccupations that are increasingly present, particularly in the GenZ material sobriety, attention to the body, the search for responsible activities, etc. Without any militant rhetoric, the practice conveys an image consistent with an active, thoughtful lifestyle.
05. A strong social and community dimension
Climbing is rarely done alone, even when you're on your own. We observe, exchange and encourage each other. This community dimension also explains the high frequency of visits: halls become meeting places, not just sports facilities.
Indoor climbing: from sports venue to living space
Indoor climbing gyms are evolving into hybrid venues because usage has changed. This shift has a direct impact on the loyaltyand sales per visit.
Experience doesn't stop at the wall
People no longer come just to climb and leave. They stay to debrief, observe, have a drink and plan the next session.
This time spent on site reinforces attachment to the place and reduces the logic of rapid consumption of the niche. You no longer just manage entries, but presences.
Operational points of attention :
✔ provide seating areas that do not impede traffic flow
✔ maintain visibility of walls from relaxation areas
✔ avoid over-isolated spaces that cut off the energy of the place
Eating and drinking, highlights of the experience
After exercise, catering meets two expectations: to recover and to stay a little longer.
When integrated into the session rhythm, it increases the basket per visit and creates a structuring social time, especially for groups. The challenge is not to offer a lot, but to offer just the right thing, with fast rush-hour service.
Operational points of attention :
✔ favour products that are easy to consume after exercise
✔ avoid waiting times at peak times
✔ think of the catering area as a meeting place, not just a counter.
Want to find out more? See our resource ➜ Hybrid catering: 5 best practices in customer experience
Telecommuting, nomadism and new uses for space
Some venues also attract visitors during the day, outside the peak sporting season: quiet areas, wifi, catering available, large tables...
This public doesn't always come to climb immediately, but they make the place their own. Ultimately, it increases the frequency of visits and anchors the room in the week, not just in free time.
Operational points of attention :
✔ clearly differentiate between quiet zones and practice zones
✔ ensure stable connection quality
✔ keeping teleworking and the sporting atmosphere consistent
Indoor climbing gyms: how to stand out in an increasingly competitive market?
Focus on diversification to capture more uses
Today, diversification is a key feature of indoor climbing gyms.
Fitness, yoga, mobility, coworking, bar, snack bar... These uses take place quite logically in spaces designed with large volumes, often open and modular.
This is one of the strong points of these rooms. They can accommodate several activities in a single day, without dividing up the space. A class in the morning, climbing at the end of the day, and a moment at the bar afterwards. This flexibility enables us to test formats, adjust others, and develop our offer in line with actual usage.
For sports enthusiasts, the gym is more than just a gym session. It's part of the week. We come back to it for different reasons, sometimes several times.
For operators, this hybridization opens up a new model:
✔ more time spent on site
✔ more frequency
✔ more opportunities to create value
Provided that the whole remains coherent and easy to use.
Ensuring the fluidity of the route to create links between these uses
Diversification is only as good as its promise if the journey remains seamless. This is where digital solutions come into their own. They make it possible to centralize uses rather than leaving them to function separately.
The practitioner must be able to :
✔ access reservations and activities in a single medium, online, in the room or via QR Code
✔ order food after the session without changing tools or multiplying spatial movements
✔ recharge your prepaid card can be used throughout the room
Visit loyaltyreasoning is also evolving. Points are no longer accumulated solely on climbing or membership, but on all uses (activities, bar, snack bar). This approach reinforces the frequency of visits and encourages people to stay on after the session.
Diversification creates value when all these uses are linked. Without the tools to connect them, it loses some of its potential.
Want to see what it's like in the field? Discover the success story of the leisure complex 10.55
Playing the community card to the hilt
The community becomes a real lever when it is animated, visible and rhythmic. This is already the case in other sports & food sectors, such as food running clubs a sporting pretext for a collective moment followed by a social time.
In climbing gyms, this means :
✔ regular events
✔ recurring, identifiable formats
✔ effective communication "before, during and after".
Digital technology is helping to expand this dynamic: targeted invitationsThe event's key features include: quick registration, reminders, and post-event relay. Each appointment becomes an additional point of contact with the community.
Ultimately, it's these collective habits that create a sense of place. You don't just come to climb, but to find a group, a rhythm and an atmosphere. And that's precisely what makes a room so difficult to replace.
Are you making the most of your space?
Let's talk to clarify together what needs to be consolidated or adjusted, and sustainably boost your plant's performance.
