Economy

Although it is an inseparable activity of the PACA region, tourism is not the only force at play in the regional economy. Indeed, this area bordered by the Mediterranean can also count on a dynamic industrial fabric . Nice, Avignon, Toulon, Marseille and Aix-en-Provence are real engines for the regional economy.

The PACA region is made up of 6 departments and has a GDP of more than 150 billion euros, making it the 3rd largest regional economy in France. The associative sectors are very present in the region and generate no less than 35,000 jobs created since the 2000s. Education and the medical sector are also two axes very present in the economic development of the Côte d'Azur.

The real economic driver of the region is the tertiary sector, whose activities generate nearly 8 out of 10 jobs . With a privileged climate, diversified natural landscapes and famous brands around the world such as Saint-Tropez, OM, the Cannes Film Festival and nearly 350 festivals , the PACA region relies on a strong tourism industry and imposes as the first tourist destination of the French and the second for foreigners.

Petrochemistry, aeronautics and space construction, microelectronics and agribusiness are the four main areas of regional industrial activity. Hitherto located near the port areas and the Rhone Valley, companies are now moving around the pond of Berre and the Gulf of Fos. Most of them are small businesses or SMEs.