How France becomes the first world tourist destination without annoying its inhabitants

France broke a new record in 2024 with nearly 100 million international visitors. In a context where Barcelona brandishes “tourist go home” and Venice signs, the hexagon seems to be navigating quietly. No riots, no grids around monuments, not even anti-selfies slogans. So, a national miracle or skillfully prepared recipe? If France remains the first world tourist destination without attracting the wrath of the inhabitants, it is perhaps because it learned to play with fire … without burning.

A recipe that has been simmering for a long time

This apparent calm is not due to chance. As early as 2021, the Atout France agency launched the plan Destination Francean ambitious program with 1.9 billion euros To transform tourism into sustainable, ecological and inclusive engine. Behind these big words, a simple idea: distribute visitors, preserve the emblematic places and highlight the unknown nuggets. It was not just a poster campaign, but a real tourist engineering work: development of trails, renovation of villages, promotion of less saturated regions.

The train is also one of the great allies of this strategy. With 28,000 km of tracksdont 2 800 km At high speed, France has one of the densest rail networks in the world. Result: tourists who choose a Lyon-Annecy in TGV more easily than an internal flight. The 2023 law prohibiting air journeys that can be replaced by a train trip of less than 2:30 a.m. further strengthened this reflex. “We can join incredible destinations without going through Paris or the saturated hubs,” explains an Atout France representative in Euronews. This dispersion of flows is the key: fewer people agglutinated on the forecourt of Mont-Saint-Michel, more people to marvel at the cliffs of Etretat or the alleys of Colmar.

And while some countries reacted urgently to uncontrolled tourist waves, France was already preparing its playground. Like a hostess who puts the table long before the guests arrive.

Divide, regulate and … keep a smile

If France does not fall for tourism pressure, it is also thanks to its natural and cultural diversity. Here, no tourism concentrated on two or three iconic spots: from the Loire castles to the Alsatian Christmas markets, from the Mediterranean Calanques to the Breton beaches, each region has its share of treasures. In 2024, no area monopolized more than 20 % of international visitors. A feat when you know that certain Mediterranean cities abroad are close to saturation all year round.

Another strategic element: the Lawing lawentered into force in 2024. It allows municipalities to limit short -term rentals type Airbnb to 90 or 120 days a yearwith heavy sanctions for offenders. The idea? Prevent the city centers from emptying their permanent inhabitants and the rents will soar. This type of regulation, applied early and firmly, prevents social tensions observed elsewhere.

Finally, there is the less measurable but just as real factor: the culture of reception. France may like to complain, it remains historically a crossroads of cultures. This tradition, combined with a rich cultural offer and solid infrastructure, makes contact with more fluid visitors. Even in major cities like Paris, Marseille or Bordeaux, flow management goes through a clever mixture of well -distributed events, local communication and permanent adaptations.

So, is France really playing out of surcourism? Not quite. She anticipates it, channels it and, above all, it transforms what could be an invasion into an organized ballet. And that is a whole art.

Léa Paci – 4 minutes ago