In France, 80% of tourism activity is concentrated on 20% of the territory, according to the French government, which threatens the preservation of some natural sites. France is the number one tourist destination in the world, with nearly 90 million tourists in 2019 and 44 million in Paris alone in 2022.
Where do the tourists go? There is Paris, of course, but they visit (also) great numbers of Mont-Saint-Michel, the Palace of Versailles, certain creeks in Marseille, the cliffs of Étretat, the Côte d’Azur, the islands of the national park Port-Cros and some of the beaches in Brittany, including the island of Bréhat.
Moreover, from July 14 to August 25, a quota of 4,700 people per day has been established who will be able to visit Brihat Island, and in Var, 6,000 people per day will be allowed to go. Port-Cros and Porquerolles Islands, all summer long.
According to Tourism Minister Olivia Gregoire, there is a lack of data and it is difficult to accurately analyze all places that are experiencing too many people. For this reason, it is launching a plan to regulate tourist flows and peak attendance. The government wants to set up a national observatory for the main tourist sites to combat overcrowding and thus make visiting enjoyable for all, both tourists and locals.
It is also necessary to encourage tourists to discover other lesser-known regions of France and to promote the less frequented places such as Alsace, Burgundy, Picardy, Auvergne, the Pyrenees … perhaps we should send Emily in Paris In the Ardèche Strait, in the Vosges Massif, in Metz or Besançon!
