The executive is slowly descending into “overtourism”. The government unveiled its plan on Sunday to prevent tourist influxes. The cliffs of Etretat in Normandy or the streams near Marseille: some sites record attendance peaks at certain times of the year.
The problem is not new, especially since France is a favorite destination for many travelers. According to the World Tourism Organization, 95% of the world’s tourists visit less than 5% of the territory, including France. But according to the government, 80% of tourism activity is concentrated in 20% of our territory.
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High real estate prices in tourist areas, negative effects on the environment, “rejection” Tourists by locals… The consequences are manifold. Here are the main points from this plan.
• Digital platform for professionals
To help players in the sector, the government first wants to support them. Thus, a digital platform that brings together the many resources developed by Atout France will be launched in the first half of 2024.
Atout France will have to support 15 to 30 pilot regions with a budget of 1.5 million euros. The Environment and Energy Management Agency will support six communities over 3 years, with a budget of 600,000 euros, reports the daily Le Monde.
How to become a responsible tourist
“It is the responsibility of the state, together with regions and tourist sites, to establish ways to inform tourists and residents, or to support municipalities in measures to manage flows”This was confirmed by Olivia Gregoire, Minister Delegate for Trade, in an interview with the newspaper “Le Figaro”.
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• National Observatory
A national observatory will also be established at the main tourist sites. France is the number one tourist destination in the world, but we are sorely lacking in data. Therefore, we will establish a national observatory of the main tourist sites to create a common information base and indicators that will facilitate the work of analyzing flows.said Olivia Gregoire in the same interview.
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Practical guide
The Minister Plenipotentiary for Trade also mentioned a practical guide. The latter will be drafted by the end of 2023 by a working group made up of representatives from different backgrounds: foundations, researchers and professional associations.
The idea is to define concepts “excess tourism”And “overcrowding” And Visitor Peaks In order to allow a common understanding of the phenomenon.
• Contact campaign on networks
Finally, the government wants to launch a media campaign with one million euros in March 2024 With influencers. the goal? Educate foreign and French tourist clients about the challenges of better distribution of tourism flows and practices.
