In 2025, UCPA is back on track. In an environment marked by the erosion of purchasing power, cautious household spending on leisure, and the gradual end of post-Covid support schemes, the association group posted a turnover of 350 million euros, up over 2% year-on-year, and gross operating surplus of 32 million euros, representing 9% of the turnover. The net result remains negative at -1.8 million euros but improves by 7.5 million euros compared to 2024. Balance is now projected by the end of 2026.
These indicators reflect not only the operator’s ability to withstand a constrained environment but also demonstrate how UCPA aims to assert a unique position in the sports economy: as a non-profit, associative player involved in sports vacations, educational days, local sports facilities, professional training, and destination engineering. With 201 million euros in equity, a debt ratio of 0.5, and a BBB+ credit rating confirmed by Standard & Poor’s in 2025, the organization has a solid financial foundation that allows it to continue investing at a time when many sector players are scaling back.
A recovered performance
The year 2025 first confirms the resilience of the business model. Sports days welcomed more than 250,000 people, including holiday camps, youth days, and family offers. Specifically, UCPA’s annual report shows 115,506 children and adolescents in holiday camps and 124,000 young adults in sports vacations. Local leisure activities accounted for about 15 million entries to sports facilities operated by the group: aquatic centers, equestrian centers, fitness centers, climbing, and racket sports.
However, economic growth remains moderate. Revenue growth is partly due to controlled price increases, as UCPA chose to maintain the affordability of its offers in a context where young adults and families are increasingly managing their expenses. The vacation activity was supported by a good winter season and corporate and international clientele but penalized by a decline in individual clientele in the summer and the underperformance of adult trips, particularly affected by higher air transport costs. Local sports leisure activities benefited from the momentum of aquatic centers, despite a slight decline in equestrian centers.
The most notable improvement lies in operational performance. After two years marked by inflation in costs such as energy, food, ski lifts, and payroll, UCPA has regained better cost control. The Gross Operating Surplus (EBE) increased by 8 million euros year-on-year. The group underlines in the annual report that the contribution of leisure activities to the EBE now matches their weight in the turnover, reducing the historical dependence on sports holidays. For an entity where profitability is not a distribution goal but a condition for sustainability, this improvement is strategic as it rebuilds investment capacity after years focused on repaying loans guaranteed by the state.
However, the year remains challenging. In 2025, UCPA faced high debt service related to both government-guaranteed loans contracted during the Covid period and investments made before the health crisis. The end of loan repayment in 2026 is expected to ease financial pressure and provide more flexibility. In this context, the group is finalizing a bond issue and associative securities issuance while continuing its development. The acquisition of Padel Horizon, part of the racket sports opening initiative for everyone, aligns with this strategy: capturing the growth dynamics of a sport while integrating an accessibility and sharing model.
Impact as a strategic asset
The financial strength of UCPA becomes meaningful in its ability to document its impact. In 2025, over 55% of holiday visitors received social departure aid. Solidarity projects reached 106,000 vulnerable youth or those distant from sports and holidays, representing a 25% increase from 2024. The group also hired 9,213 young people under 25 and trained 1,697 youth in sports and animation professions, including 932 apprentices.
This social dimension complements a strategy of facilities and destinations. The opening of PRISME in Bobigny, entrusted by the Seine-Saint-Denis Department, is a highlight of the year. Presented as Europe’s first multiplex dedicated to inclusive sports, disabled sports, parasports, and sports for all, the facility showcases UCPA’s positioning on complex projects at the intersection of public policies, sports operations, and social utility. The reopening of the Lacanau center, after renovation, plays a similar role in environmental terms: this historic surfing destination has become an ecological showcase, combining increased capacity, improved comfort, and reduced environmental footprint.
On ecological transition, UCPA aims to move from experimentation to industrial management. The group reports a 5% overall energy consumption reduction through detailed tracking at almost all its sites. In its annual report, the association highlights automatic gas and electricity sensors, center renovations, integration of goals related to the tertiary decree, use of renewable energy, rainwater recovery, and eco-friendly materials and furniture. In Lacanau, bioclimatic renovation without air conditioning, insulation with wood fibers, outdoor spaces, and pine forest preservation outline a method that could inspire other tourist and sports facilities.
The challenge for UCPA now is to turn this non-financial credibility into a development advantage. French sports require operators capable of designing, financing, operating, and animating practice venues sustainably, as local authorities face rising costs, aging facilities, and sustainability demands. Projects like Bois-le-Roi, Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, Bordeaux-Belcier, and UCPA Sport Stations reflect this evolution: UCPA no longer just supervises practices but contributes to creating sports destinations in urban or natural settings.
While not without vulnerabilities, the 2025 performance shows that UCPA is on a clearer path. In an industry where commercial logic is advancing rapidly, the association advocates for a different equation: using economic performance to fund accessibility, inclusion, training, and ecological transition. It is this precise combination that now gives its model strategic value.
