Follow me: oppressive heat lingers over Paris while the nearby Fontainebleau forest endures one of the fiercest fires in its history.
Clearly, the grand bonfire long sought by the German armies no longer requires their vengeful madness. “Paris is not burning yet” but almost.
And the handful of tourists wandering slowly along the asphalt find it hard to carry out their plans for discovery. Beyond pharmacies, cinemas, department stores and luxury hotels… it cannot be said they are enjoying their stay.
By contrast, a few dozen kilometers to the north, along the shores of the North Sea, vast wind-swept beaches carved by tides and battered by winds offer visitors exceptional freshness.
In Berck-plage, for example, a resort whose reputation has grown around its medical facilities and its annual kite festival, children bounce on white sand and challenge the waves in ideal weather that, this year, was also troubled by heat waves but far less than the Atlantic coast or the Mediterranean.
Clearly, the grand bonfire long sought by the German armies no longer requires their vengeful madness. “Paris is not burning yet” but almost.
And the handful of tourists wandering slowly along the asphalt find it hard to carry out their plans for discovery. Beyond pharmacies, cinemas, department stores and luxury hotels… it cannot be said they are enjoying their stay.
By contrast, a few dozen kilometers to the north, along the shores of the North Sea, vast wind-swept beaches carved by tides and battered by winds offer visitors exceptional freshness.
In Berck-plage, for example, a resort whose reputation has grown around its medical facilities and its annual kite festival, children bounce on white sand and challenge the waves in ideal weather that, this year, was also troubled by heat waves but far less than the Atlantic coast or the Mediterranean.
Between dunes, kites and freshness
For the resort director, it is clear that beyond the usual local vacationers, the northern shores become an unexpected asset that will need to be promoted.And especially promoted to a somewhat farther clientele (the Paris Basin) who often has little knowledge of the region and clings to outdated clichés that feature mussel-eaters and people undergoing rehabilitation.
Like all its Opal Coast sisters, Berck indeed has an even greater card to play as it lies near Le Touquet, Hardelot, Fort-Mahon… just two hours from the capital and boasts an increasingly well-equipped housing stock.
Rentals, high-end campsites, hotels… dot the brand-new seafront esplanade, making not only a stroll but entertainment easier. Living up perfectly to its Family-Plus label, the resort has put in place substantial efforts to welcome both young vacationers and local youth…
Yet, as some professionals note, one must be careful not to promise too much because, here as elsewhere, climate uncertainty reigns.
Climate Tourism: An Old Story
With the potential to trigger storms, droughts, rains, etc., is weather a new determinant in choosing destinations, especially for the summer season? That’s what many say.
But for the moment, it is clear that no one can forecast with 100% certainty. We speak with emphasis and confidence of urban temperatures rising by as much as 50% by 2050. Yet we do not know what tomorrow will bring.
Controversies about artificial cooling are being fed without undertaking the necessary steps to reintroduce a genuine climate tourism policy as it existed at the beginning of the century. All across France.
Across the world, particularly in colonies, let us recall that the “gentry” used to spend summers in the leafy shade of high-altitude resorts. In Vietnam, Laos, the Himalayas, Algeria, Morocco… summers were thus tolerable.
But, at a moment when the concept of climate stations should regain momentum, “climate tourism” has been erased in favor of a rush toward sports and cultural activism.
Unless it makes a comeback through a different angle, that of well-being.
But for the moment, it is clear that no one can forecast with 100% certainty. We speak with emphasis and confidence of urban temperatures rising by as much as 50% by 2050. Yet we do not know what tomorrow will bring.
Controversies about artificial cooling are being fed without undertaking the necessary steps to reintroduce a genuine climate tourism policy as it existed at the beginning of the century. All across France.
Across the world, particularly in colonies, let us recall that the “gentry” used to spend summers in the leafy shade of high-altitude resorts. In Vietnam, Laos, the Himalayas, Algeria, Morocco… summers were thus tolerable.
But, at a moment when the concept of climate stations should regain momentum, “climate tourism” has been erased in favor of a rush toward sports and cultural activism.
Unless it makes a comeback through a different angle, that of well-being.
Polar tourism, luxury tourism, last-chance tourism
Whatever the case, this form of tourism clearly states its purpose of offering spectacular journeys to regions still partly escaping drought.
Thus, the travel agency Connaisseurs du voyage, specialized in aerial cruises, promotes “A world tour in the unprecedented High North, amid untouched nature.” For 23 days, a private plane carries a small group of travelers from Iceland to Alaska, via Greenland, for the modest sum of 27,000 euros.
Greenland, in particular, boosted by the expansion of Nuuk’s international airport, its capital, is starting to captivate those seeking new destinations.
Meanwhile the Faroe Islands, whose exact location remains unknown to many, promise French travelers three weekly flights from Paris/CDG on the Air-Baltic airline. Leveraging a particularly cool climate, the Danish islands envision a tourist future akin to Iceland but with fewer missteps. Only about 3 hours by plane from Paris. A real windfall.
Another example: according to estimates from the U.S. travel agency AdventureSmith Explorations, which offers expeditions to the North and South Poles, the number of travelers opting for a cruise with a flight has risen by more than 4,400% in twenty years, from 230 in 2004 to over 10,000 in 2024!
For that matter, on the southern continent as well, the number of cruises is rising rapidly. From 22,000 travelers at the start of the 2000s, it has climbed to more than 120,000 today, according to data from the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators (IAATO).
Thus, the travel agency Connaisseurs du voyage, specialized in aerial cruises, promotes “A world tour in the unprecedented High North, amid untouched nature.” For 23 days, a private plane carries a small group of travelers from Iceland to Alaska, via Greenland, for the modest sum of 27,000 euros.
Greenland, in particular, boosted by the expansion of Nuuk’s international airport, its capital, is starting to captivate those seeking new destinations.
Meanwhile the Faroe Islands, whose exact location remains unknown to many, promise French travelers three weekly flights from Paris/CDG on the Air-Baltic airline. Leveraging a particularly cool climate, the Danish islands envision a tourist future akin to Iceland but with fewer missteps. Only about 3 hours by plane from Paris. A real windfall.
Another example: according to estimates from the U.S. travel agency AdventureSmith Explorations, which offers expeditions to the North and South Poles, the number of travelers opting for a cruise with a flight has risen by more than 4,400% in twenty years, from 230 in 2004 to over 10,000 in 2024!
For that matter, on the southern continent as well, the number of cruises is rising rapidly. From 22,000 travelers at the start of the 2000s, it has climbed to more than 120,000 today, according to data from the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators (IAATO).
A Climate Tourist at Three Speeds
For more than 25 years, journalist, consultant, and speaker Josette Sicsic has been observing the world’s changes to analyze their implications for the tourism sector.
After developing the Touriscopie journal for over 20 years, she remains at the forefront of current events, decoding the present to forecast the future. On the site www.tourmag.com, in the Futuroscopie section, she publishes predictive and analytical articles several times a week.
Contact: 06 14 47 99 04
Email: [email protected]
After developing the Touriscopie journal for over 20 years, she remains at the forefront of current events, decoding the present to forecast the future. On the site www.tourmag.com, in the Futuroscopie section, she publishes predictive and analytical articles several times a week.
Contact: 06 14 47 99 04
Email: [email protected]
