The Mediterranean Coast: Sun, Sea, and Glamour

The Côte d'Azur: Invented Paradise

The French Riviera represents perhaps the world's first purpose-built tourism destination:

The Glamour Corridor

Nice: Balances year-round city life with beach tourism
Cannes: Film festival glamour sustains year-round appeal
Monaco: Luxury concentration in Europe's second-smallest country
Saint-Tropez: Maintains mystique despite mass popularity

Economic Impact

Generates €11 billion annually in tourism revenue
Supports 75,000 direct tourism jobs
Hosts 11 million tourists yearly
Maintains Europe's highest concentration of luxury hotels

Beyond the Glitter

Inland villages like Èze and Saint-Paul-de-Vence offer cultural escapes
Natural parks provide hiking and outdoor activities
Marine tourism includes Europe's largest pleasure boat concentration
Business tourism thrives with conferences and incentive travel

Provence: The Cultivated Landscape

Provence transcends typical tourism by offering an idealized lifestyle:

The Lavender and Wine Route

Luberon villages: Gordes, Roussillon showcase perched village perfection
Avignon: Papal history and performing arts festival
Aix-en-Provence: University town with thermal heritage
Arles: Roman monuments and Van Gogh connections

Tourism Products

Wine tourism through Châteauneuf-du-Pape and Rosé country
Market tourism with weekly markets in every village
Cultural festivals from Avignon theater to Aix music
Agritourism on working farms and vineyards

Languedoc-Roussillon: The Engineered Coast

This region represents France's largest planned tourism development:

The 1960s Transformation

La Grande-Motte: Modernist architecture for mass tourism
Cap d'Agde: Europe's largest naturist resort
Port-Camargue: Major marina development
Gruissan: Balancing development with nature preservation

Contemporary Evolution

Shift from quantity to quality tourism
Environmental restoration projects
Cultural tourism development inland
Wine tourism in historic vineyards