Overtourism: Government Strategies To Combat This Scourge.

In France, 80% of tourist traffic is concentrated in 20% of the territory. In the most frequented sites such as Mont Saint-Michel or the village of Gordes for example, one comes to think that too much tourism kills tourism! To address this problem, the government has just unveiled a plan to fight against overtourism. Explanations.

A windfall with sometimes negative effects.

Although tourism is a financial windfall for the most popular destinations throughout France, the peak periods of some sites during the summer season impact local life.

Among the negative effects of tourism felt by the local population, we must first mention overtourism, which is the impression of overpopulation due to the influx of tourists.

In France, tourist attendance is concentrated in time, over a few summer months or during the Christmas period in Alsace, and in space. Thus, 80% of tourist flows converge on only 20% of our territory.

Some local authorities have already developed strategies to avoid this overcrowding, by introducing entrance fees, daily quotas or the obligation to book visits online in advance. The island of Noirmoutier in Vendée could soon demand a toll to limit traffic jams on the bridge that connects it to the mainland.

An impact on the quality of life of locals.

In the most popular destinations in France, such as the Ardèche Gorges, the Dune of Pilat or the village of Gordes, for example, it has become necessary to regulate tourist flows. Mass tourism that floods certain French sites every summer leads to peaks in attendance and negative effects such as degradation of the natural environment and rising real estate prices. Conflicts are frequent with the local population due to the negative impact of mass tourism on the environment and the multiplication of tourist infrastructure, to the point where residents sometimes develop a fear of tourism! For visitors too, overtourism can be felt as a nuisance that detracts from the quality of the experience and does not allow for fully enjoying a destination like the famous Mont Saint Michel or the city of Étretat. That is why some destinations have not waited for the government plan to take action. The most visited ancient monument in France, the Pont du Gard, was closed to car traffic as early as 2000, and paid parking lots were set up to limit attendance to 1,400 vehicles, or about 5,500 people. In Brittany, the island of Bréhat decided to establish a visitor quota and limit the number to 4,700 per day between July 14th and August 25th. At the gates of Marseille too, a reservation system has been put in place to access the Sugiton cove, and the national park is considering limiting the attendance of the Frioul islands...

A plan to regulate flows.

A few days after private tourism operators, the government took over the issue of overtourism and unveiled a series of proposals on June 18, 2023.

This plan, whose overall objective is to regulate tourist flows, provides for:

• the creation of a national observatory of major tourist sites in order to centralize information on sites affected by overtourism

• the launch of a digital platform developed by Atout France in the first half of 2024 to provide resources and tools to sector actors and support them towards more sustainable tourism

• the creation of a communication kit to encourage tourists to adapt their itineraries and visiting hours according to the influx and specificities of the visited site

• the launch of a national communication campaign with influencers specialized in tourism promotion.

Influencers are invited to raise awareness among their audience about the harmful effects of overtourism and encourage visitors to explore off the beaten track in order not to worsen the scourge of mass tourism.