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Euronews
11-08-2025
- Business
- Euronews
Why France's strategy is working in the age of overtourism
In Greece, locals are spraying graffiti. In Italy, Portugal and Spain, they have resorted to water guns and mass protests. While anti-tourism sentiment has begun to bubble over across Europe, one country is conspicuous in its relative silence. And it's the most visited country in the world: France. Although it welcomes about 100 million travellers each year, France rarely makes headlines for tourism protests – a stark contrast to its neighbours, who have increasingly vented frustration over crowded cities, rising rents and bad behaviour. There is no single reason why France has avoided the backlash, and fears that one could still be coming aren't unfounded. But a commitment to sustainable tourism, strong infrastructure and a strategy to spread visitors across regions and seasons all play a part. France has played the long game Unlike many countries now scrambling to rein in mass tourism, France started laying the groundwork years ago. Atout France, the country's tourism development agency, has made sustainability a central tenet of its strategy. Under a 10-year roadmap – the Destination France Plan – the government earmarked €1.9 billion in 2021 to encourage greener, more responsible travel. That means pushing for rail travel over short-haul flights, investing in mid-sized cities and nudging visitors beyond the usual suspects, like Paris or Nice. The country doubled down this year, with a fresh pledge to invest in tourism that's more ecological, inclusive and digitally savvy. Tourism leaders hope that investment results in longer stays, smaller crowds and more meaningful experiences. 'The French authorities have invested in sustainable travel for years,' says Veronica Diquattro, president of B2C and supply at Omio, a travel search engine for Europe. 'The focus now is on improving the quality of tourism experiences, spreading visitor numbers throughout the year to combat overtourism and emphasising ecological, digital, social and inclusive tourism practices.' The power of trains France has one of the most extensive rail networks in Europe – 28,000 kilometres of tracks, including 2,800 kilometres of high-speed lines. 'France is among the most accessible countries for rail tourism,' Diquattro says. Cities with as few as 20,000 people have train stations, she explains. Thanks to its high-speed rail, you can get from Paris to Marseille in three hours. That kind of access reshapes tourism patterns. It also reshapes policy. In 2023, France formally banned domestic flights on some routes that could be done in under two and a half hours by train. Although its impact on the climate is unclear, the move has nevertheless boosted train travel and likely encouraged trips to regions that may have gone overlooked. Tourists are dispersed by design Where Spain has the Costa Brava and Italy has Venice, France has... everything. And that's exactly how the country likes it. 'Tourists are spread out in France,' says Marine Prat, a travel and business events designer at Loire Secrets. 'They don't go to only one place. They travel to several regions.' Part of this comes down to history – France has always marketed itself as a country of regions. Part of it is storytelling. From the châteaux of the Loire to the wine cellars of Alsace, each region offers its own brand of tourism and the infrastructure to match. 'More and more people want to travel off the beaten track. They want to see different areas – not just the classics, like Paris and Normandy and the south of France,' Prat adds. 'Now they can see on Instagram that you can go an hour and a half from Paris and easily discover charming villages, gastronomy and very dynamic cities.' A cultural advantage Perhaps less obvious, France's legacy of hosting outsiders could be paying dividends today. 'France has been a crossroads of cultures for centuries,' says Prat. 'It's quite normal to have people from all over visit [France]… It's a big part of our economy.' That long history of hosting, combined with a strong tourism infrastructure, has likely helped insulate France from some of the issues seen elsewhere. And the audience is growing. As Prat points out, arrivals from new markets like India, Southeast Asia, Australia and Africa have ticked upward in recent years. They're finding more to do outside of the big cities and gravitating toward them, too. 'We're trying to sell more local experiences,' she says. 'We are very involved in our region. We want to promote more organic or biodynamic winemakers, more local and organic food, and people who work in this way.' Diquattro says her company's data backs that up. 'Travellers frequently choose Paris as their initial destination.' But from there, she says, they're branching out, adding that Marseille and Strasbourg are growing fast, thanks to better connections and more to experience when travellers get there. Can regulation fend off retaliation? France hasn't escaped friction. Frequent strikes – rail, air or otherwise – remain part of the national rhythm. Crowding and gentrification could be looming issues, too. Meanwhile, the Olympic Games last year brought so much attention to the City of Lights that more than 50 million people visited it in 2024 alone. Earlier this summer, residents in Montmartre began sounding the alarm over surging crowds. 'People come for three hours, have fun, buy a beret or a crepe, and leave, as if they were in an amusement park,' one resident told Reuters. The authorities hope that regulation could help stave off the worst. While short-term holiday lets have triggered housing crises in cities like Lisbon and Barcelona, authorities have been quicker to act in France. Under a law passed last year – Loi le Meur – local governments can cap holiday rentals, slash the number of nights residences can be rented (from 120 to 90) and fine landlords who ignore the rules. Whether it's laws regulating short-term rentals or a masterplan for a more sustainable kind of growth, France's system seems to be holding. In the age of overtourism, the country's secret weapon might be that it has planned for this moment all along.
Scotsman
24-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Scotsman
Omio announced as official travel partner for Edinburgh Festival Fringe, simplifying travel for festival-goers
Omio, the leading multi-modal travel booking platform, has been announced as the official travel partner for the Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2025, helping audiences and artists from across the globe travel with ease to one of the world's greatest celebrations of creativity. Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Omio's vision is to enable billions of people to travel seamlessly – anywhere, anyway. As more people choose to travel in pursuit of culture and personal passions, the importance of accessible travel options continues to grow. Omio allows travellers to search, compare, and book trains, buses, flights, and ferries in one place, empowering them to plan and enjoy their journeys with confidence and ease while reaching the experiences that matter most. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad To celebrate the partnership, Omio is offering a 12% discount voucher to Fringe-goers using their platform for the first time, helping artists and audiences access affordable and flexible transport options to the Scottish capital. Your World Veronica Diquattro, President of B2C Europe at Omio, said: 'We're delighted to be the official travel partner for this year's Edinburgh Festival Fringe. The Fringe represents creativity without boundaries – a global stage where people from all walks of life come together. At Omio, we share the same spirit of openness and accessibility, helping travellers from across the UK, Europe, and beyond get to Edinburgh easily, affordably, and on their terms. 'Whether it's by train, bus, flight or ferry, our platform simplifies the journey, allowing festival-goers to focus on the experiences that matter. As more people travel for their passions, we're proud to empower spontaneous, flexible and culturally rich trips via the Omio app. It's a partnership that celebrates freedom of expression, seamless mobility and the joy of discovery.'
Yahoo
16-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Omio Expands Inventory in Six Southeast Asian Countries, Strengthening its Position as the Leading Global Travel Booking Platform
The first phase of Omio's expansion in Southeast Asia has unlocked over 14,000 bus routes from more than 1,800 transportation providers across Singapore, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Cambodia The Omio app unifies transportation across three continents and 45 countries. BERLIN, April 16, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Omio, the leading multi-modal travel booking platform, today announced its growing inventory in Southeast Asia. This marks a significant step in Omio's global expansion plans and mission to digitise travel. Adding to Omio's flight options in this region, international travellers can now seamlessly search, compare, and book tickets for over 14,000 bus routes from 1,800 local transportation providers across six Southeast Asian countries: Singapore, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Cambodia. Omio will add ferry and rail services to the platform over the following months, aiming for comprehensive multi-modal coverage to be available before Q4 2025, just in time for the peak season of SEA travel. Travel Information and Support in Your Language, All in One App Travellers looking to explore the vibrant Southeast Asia region benefit from an unmatched booking experience, which includes navigating in their local languages, paying in their preferred currency and payment method, and selecting a seat via Omio's Seat Map feature, along with 24/7 Customer Support. Unifying Travel Across the Globe The Asia-Pacific region is the second-largest tourist destination in the world, following Europe, with Southeast Asia attracting approximately 120 million inbound tourists each year. Building on its presence in Europe and North America, Southeast Asia has added a new dimension to Omio's global inventory and reflects the company's mission to make travel by train, flight, bus, and ferry easy and enjoyable everywhere in the world. Omio now operates in 45 countries across three continents. With millions of bookable routes and 80,000 tickets sold daily, Omio is the leading global source of inventory for multi-modal travel. Veronica Diquattro, President B2C Europe & Supply at Omio, comments: "Our offering radically simplifies the travel experience for international travellers in this vibrant key travel region. The transportation landscape in Southeast Asia – particularly for bus travel – is incredibly fragmented and complex for international visitors to navigate. We are excited to help them explore this beautiful region with ease, and we are working tirelessly to integrate further regional mobility providers into our travel platform to create an unparalleled multi-modal inventory for travellers to search and book." Media Contact Amy Van About Omio Since its foundation in 2013, the Omio Group has helped customers discover new ways of travelling. Thanks to its two interconnected platforms, Omio and Rome2Rio, Omio is the world's leading travel platform for searching, comparing, and booking. Omio B2B Partnership services OTAs and mobility providers with bespoke business solutions. Omio supports its customers in their desire to explore Europe, the US, Canada and Southeast Asia by train, bus, flight, and ferry. Omio sells more than 80,000 tickets daily, employs over 430 staff from more than 50 countries and maintains offices in Berlin, Prague, Melbourne, London and Bangalore. The Omio Group offers its customers journeys that move them. Logo: View original content: Sign in to access your portfolio
