Once a sleepy fishing village, this picture-perfect town on the French Riviera has transformed into one of the Mediterranean's most overcrowded summer destinations. According to the World Travel & Tourism Council, France is set to keep its pole position as the world's most popular destination for international visitors this year. What's more, France is poised to remain the most visited country in 2025 , attracting more than 93 million international travellers, with American tourists said to be fuelling the surge.
However, with this popularity comes a host of challenges. Some of France's most popular sites are suffering the effects of overtourism ; in some cases, visitor numbers are threatening to destroy fragile natural environments . The French government has a roadmap in place to promote sustainable tourism – by creating a greener hotel classification system , improving cycling infrastructure and investing in public transport.
While the plan is being rolled out over 10 years, large-scale actions are already in place; in 2023, the French government outlawed all domestic flights to destinations reachable by train in less than two and a half hours, and this summer it trialled a €49 monthly train pass for 16 to 27-year-olds, which covers unlimited travel on the TER regional rail network and intercity trains nationwide, but not the faster TGV services. "There's lots going on," says Marine Teste, head of public relations at Atout France, the France Tourism Development Agency..