France launches plan to tackle 'over-tourism' in visitor hotspots
As tourism rebounds in France, there are increasing concerns about 'over-tourism' in certain areas - where high visitor numbers damage the environment and over-crowing creates a bad visitor experience.
In response to the concerns about surtourisme (over-tourism), the French government unveiled a plan on Sunday night to better regulate visitor flows to the country.
Pre-pandemic, France regularly topped the charts for the world's most visited tourist destination, and with strong growth in visitor numbers in 2022 and the first half of 2023 it look sets to hold on to this crown.
However, 80 percent of tourists visit just 20 percent of the country - primarily Paris, the Riviera and tourist hotspots like Mont Saint-Michel in Normandy. So the government wants to better regulate tourist flows to reduce crowding in certain areas, and encourage people to explore off-the-beaten-track France.
Intended to be elaborated on more thoroughly toward the end of 2023, there were four primary areas the French government has pinpointed for better handing over-tourism.
Collecting data - France's minister for trade, Olivia Grégoire, told Le Figaro that even though France is one of the world's most popular tourist destinations, there is a serious "lack of data". She said the government would be setting up a national observatory to monitor the most popular sites in order to better analyse flows.
Creating a practical guide and formal definition - By the end of 2023, the French government will create a working group made up of people who have worked in or alongside the tourism industry, as well as those who have researched it, in order to develop a proper definition for expressions like 'over-tourism' and 'peak season visitor numbers'.
The goal will be to create a practical guide to allow local authorities to better manage and anticipate visitor flows.
READ MORE: Tourism in Paris approaches pre-Covid levels
A communication team - In France, 80 percent of tourist activity is concentrated in just 20 percent of the country. As such, the French government intends to work alongside influencers to raise awareness - both with French tourists and foreign ones - about other locations in France worth visiting in an effort to distribute tourist flows across the country. The government will offer these influencers a press kit that they can consult.
A digital platform - At some point during the first half of 2024, France will launch a digital platform to help those working in the tourism industry. This will rely on data form the national observatory created.
READ MORE: How much more expensive is it to holiday in France this summer?
Why target tourism?
France has seen a significant tourism rebound. In 2022, the country's tourism body Atout France found that tourists in France spent a record €58 billion. This is €1.2 billion higher than the pre-pandemic tourist spend, although the report's authors noted that inflation has had an impact in prices compared to 2019.
While tourist levels in some parts of the country - like Paris - have not yet reached their pre-Covid levels, they are climbing.
Last week, the small French island of Bréhat, located off the coast of Brittany, joined a number of popular tourist spots in France when it announced plans to restrict the number of visitors allowed per day, in part to protect its natural environment.
Several venues have imposed visitor quotas or demanding pre-booking from visitors, such as the Calanques national park near Marseille and the national park on the Porquerolles island off France's southeast coast - both in hopes of better preserving the landscape.
READ ALSO Which French tourist spots do you need to book in advance?
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In response to the concerns about surtourisme (over-tourism), the French government unveiled a plan on Sunday night to better regulate visitor flows to the country.
Pre-pandemic, France regularly topped the charts for the world's most visited tourist destination, and with strong growth in visitor numbers in 2022 and the first half of 2023 it look sets to hold on to this crown.
However, 80 percent of tourists visit just 20 percent of the country - primarily Paris, the Riviera and tourist hotspots like Mont Saint-Michel in Normandy. So the government wants to better regulate tourist flows to reduce crowding in certain areas, and encourage people to explore off-the-beaten-track France.
Intended to be elaborated on more thoroughly toward the end of 2023, there were four primary areas the French government has pinpointed for better handing over-tourism.
Collecting data - France's minister for trade, Olivia Grégoire, told Le Figaro that even though France is one of the world's most popular tourist destinations, there is a serious "lack of data". She said the government would be setting up a national observatory to monitor the most popular sites in order to better analyse flows.
Creating a practical guide and formal definition - By the end of 2023, the French government will create a working group made up of people who have worked in or alongside the tourism industry, as well as those who have researched it, in order to develop a proper definition for expressions like 'over-tourism' and 'peak season visitor numbers'.
The goal will be to create a practical guide to allow local authorities to better manage and anticipate visitor flows.
READ MORE: Tourism in Paris approaches pre-Covid levels
A communication team - In France, 80 percent of tourist activity is concentrated in just 20 percent of the country. As such, the French government intends to work alongside influencers to raise awareness - both with French tourists and foreign ones - about other locations in France worth visiting in an effort to distribute tourist flows across the country. The government will offer these influencers a press kit that they can consult.
A digital platform - At some point during the first half of 2024, France will launch a digital platform to help those working in the tourism industry. This will rely on data form the national observatory created.
READ MORE: How much more expensive is it to holiday in France this summer?
Why target tourism?
France has seen a significant tourism rebound. In 2022, the country's tourism body Atout France found that tourists in France spent a record €58 billion. This is €1.2 billion higher than the pre-pandemic tourist spend, although the report's authors noted that inflation has had an impact in prices compared to 2019.
While tourist levels in some parts of the country - like Paris - have not yet reached their pre-Covid levels, they are climbing.
Last week, the small French island of Bréhat, located off the coast of Brittany, joined a number of popular tourist spots in France when it announced plans to restrict the number of visitors allowed per day, in part to protect its natural environment.
Several venues have imposed visitor quotas or demanding pre-booking from visitors, such as the Calanques national park near Marseille and the national park on the Porquerolles island off France's southeast coast - both in hopes of better preserving the landscape.
READ ALSO Which French tourist spots do you need to book in advance?
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