French Regions Experience Anti-Tourism Protests Amid Housing Shortages and Overtourism Concerns
Several regions in France, including Finistère in Brittany, the Basque Country, Corsica, and Marseille, are experiencing growing anti-tourism sentiment and protests. This unrest is fueled by housing shortages, an increase in second homes, and the proliferation of short-term Airbnb rentals, which are pricing out local residents. In Finistère, incidents of vandalism targeting cars with Parisian license plates and verbal altercations with tourists have been reported. Residents in Vallon des Auffes in Marseille protested a new restaurant due to overcrowding and litter, while in the Basque Country, the tenants group Valda occupied buildings rented to tourists, citing non-compliance with regulations. Didier Arino of Protourisme consultancy notes that intense heatwaves in southern France have pushed more tourists to cooler coastal areas like Finistère, exacerbating the issue. Professor Emeritus of Geography at the Sorbonne, Rémy Knafou, defines overtourism as when a significant portion of the host population expr... 
