French app helps sports-focused travellers find activities and accommodation

A sports teacher in the Île-de-France region has launched an app designed to connect accommodation providers with sports-focused travellers.

Philippe Desmet has been a physical education teacher for 30 years and currently teaches at the Bascan High School in Rambouillet (Yvelines). After spending a holiday in southern France visiting friends and practising different sports, he decided to turn the experience into a business idea.

“The idea came after a holiday at the beginning of last year. I went to southern France to visit a friend and we went sailing together. Then, because I have a camper van, I visited another friend and we did trail running. With a third friend, I went cycling,” he told The Connexion.

“And I thought: this is amazing. I had a fantastic holiday and I got to enjoy my favourite thing during vacation (sport) but with local friends who knew the area.”

However, nature sports depend heavily on the environment. While a gym is much the same everywhere, activities such as sailing require local knowledge of wind and water conditions.

“After those holidays, I thought: ‘This is great. But what if I wanted to do it again without having friends there?’ So I searched online and found nothing,” he said.

Mr Desmet then decided to create what he describes as an “Airbnb for sport”, and so WeekySport was born.

“Let’s say you love climbing, diving, tennis or swimming — the app shows you accommodation hosted by someone who knows that activity well.”

In this way, when users arrive for a weekend break, a week-long holiday or a longer stay, hosts can offer tailored advice..

Hosts know the area and can guide users and help them make the most of their chosen activity.

“There are now more than a hundred sports referenced in the app,” said Mr Desmet.

The platform is not aimed solely at individuals; accommodation searches can be tailored for groups.

“Some guesthouse owners have contacted me because they specifically target sports clubs for swimming, mountain biking or other sports. They can host clubs and groups of more than 15 people,” he said.

Another important aspect of the project for Mr Desmet was moving away from the “key box” system that has become common on platforms such as Airbnb, where guests and hosts no longer even need to meet in person.

“There is no longer any human interaction. My idea is to create sharing and exchanges. For example: ‘You want to do this cycling route but you have a 10-year-old child? They can do this ride with you.’ You get local advice for practising the sport. There’s a real exchange around a shared passion.”

Accommodation providers set their own rates, with WeekySport taking a commission of around 12% on transactions paid by the traveller, while hosts receive the full amount they set.

The app also includes accessibility features aimed at making sport more inclusive for people with disabilities.

“Something important to me personally is accessibility. I included accommodation suitable for people with reduced mobility (PRM). Hosts can indicate whether their accommodation is accessible: no stairs, adapted facilities, etc,” Mr Desmet said.

At present, the app only operates in France, but Mr Desmet hopes to expand it internationally in the future.