Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
agriculture,” he said, and the appeal of France to tourists is rooted in its landscape and
cuisine, in its countryside or “
la France profonde
.” The trains take the tourists around the
country. The festivals are spread out to attract visitors to every corner of France and spread
the wealth. And the farmers raise the food that will fill their plates at remote one-star res-
taurants.
To keep that countryside beautiful, France slowly developed layers of rules and reg-
ulations that many farmers and developers find odious. All of the coasts are public pre-
serves—from the sandy strands of the Mediterranean to the cliffs along the English Chan-
nel stormed on D-Day. “We can't fill our beaches with hotels like Spain; they are all pro-
tected,” said Delom.
“It's not perfect, but what we try to do is have national laws for protecting nature. Then
with development codes and work rules we have created the qualifications we need to re-
ject industrial tourism.”
The attention to detail spans the ministries, including farm subsidies, either from the
French government or the European Union. I met Christian Vachier, the last sheep farm-
er in his small commune in the mountains of the Lubéron in the northern regions of
Provence, not far from Bordeaux. During most of the year Vachier raised his flock on
thirty-six acres of pasture. In the summer he sent them off to wild mountain meadows
where they grazed a wide swath that acted as a firebreak in the hot, dry forests. This tradi-
tional, land-intensive and expensive form of animal husbandry was underwritten by checks
from the E.U. and the French government and done with the full approval of the tour-
ism side of government since Vachier and his lambs preserve the landscape. And once
slaughtered, the lamb is featured in smart restaurants in nearby Aix-en-Provence, which in
turn brings in more tourists.
“Those beautiful landscapes—hills, pretty forest, vineyards—are largely maintained by
man. In France we don't forget this is why many tourists come here,” said Patrick Falcone
of the Ministry of Agriculture. “Now each region has to decide what is acceptable before it
opens up. Tourism has to improve the economy, for as many as can benefit, and improve
the local quality of life—perhaps create more public spaces, improve cultural life, build a
new railway station . . . maybe bring better train or bus service.”
When all of that has been accomplished, the marketing campaign kicks in. These cam-
paigns with catchy slogans receive the lion's share of attention. National tour agencies
spend millions on the ads that pop up on the computer screen, the lush color enticements
on television and the full-page advertisements in the newspapers and magazines. Behind
these schemes is the data collected that tell the French how to sell their country overseas:
outdoor adventure and camping to the Dutch, city and urban vacations to Americans, cul-
tural events to Brazilians. Their marketing force is divided into three groups: Europe and
Africa; the Americas; Asia and the Middle East. And it is divided by specialties: urban and
rural with river, forest, camping and mountain specialties; families, senior citizens, youth,
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