Cine-tourism has advantages, but also some negative consequences for residents of the small town of Étretat.
Among the list of French series developed by Netflix, few know the success of Lupe. A modern reinterpretation of Maurice LeBlanc’s detective novels, the series by Omar Sy has established itself as one of the most popular productions worldwide. In fact, it ranks seventh in the ranking of the most watched non-English speaking series worldwide. More 316 million hours Seen in these First 28 days of operation.
In addition to focusing on this iconic character in French literature, the series extolled the virtues of the French coast and one city in particular. Indeed, in Season 1, our hero goes to Étretat on a pilgrimage in the footsteps of Arsène Lupine. In fact, viewers of the series are happy to go to the small Normandy town to discover the places that served as the setting for many scenes in the series. It is the famous hollow needle that attracts the most tourists.
France’s Le Parisien and Today thus met the inhabitants of this small town. Many locals finally decide to pack their bags.
“Lupine, Lupine, we are tired. It is tragic. The cost of real estate, daily life, everything has gone up and no young person wants to come here and settle down. No more youth, no more life” laments an elderly resident of a small town. Even the mayor says he is fed up with the situation. “The city of Norman saw its attendance figures soar again last year, with over a million visitors estimated. We want rational tourism, but we cannot control it, and we have never experienced it.
Film tourism attracts many followers
The influence of the seventh art on tourism is not new. For a long time, many cities and regions have relied on this phenomenon to attract many visitors. Some travel in the footsteps of spaghetti westerns in Andalusia, or in search of magical ruins in Ireland and Great Britain. The fansHarry Potter For example, many embark on a roadtrip to discover all the natural settings of the cinematographic saga.
series Power play Some cities in Croatia and Northern Ireland are also lit up. Some even find the castles used for the Winterfell sequences. However, Dubrovnik, Croatia has the largest number of fans. In the seaside town, residents have seen many shops dedicated to the HBO series flourish. Mugs, t-shirts and other accessories now sit proudly alongside traditional postcards and magnets.
In 2018, the CNC also devoted a study to this topic. Among the viewers Dunkirk, 24% then want to find filming locations. Thus, in July of the same year, there was a 176% increase in the number of English tourists, and in August it was 536%. Meanwhile, the City Museum received twice as many visitors as usual. For communities, however, this sudden popularity can be a real logistical headache. Etretat would not have expected such consequences.
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