During a press conference, the Nice Front Populaire presented its solutions to reduce overtourism and protect the city in the event of an electoral victory next March.
The municipal campaign of 2026 is well underway in Nice. Parties are multiplying their proposals. This Wednesday, the Nice Front Populaire chose to address the issue of overtourism. The party considers this a major problem for the city and its residents.
According to the head of the list Mireille Damiano, Nice is facing intense tourist pressure. According to David Nakache, a candidate on the Nice Front Populaire list, “atmospheric population causes 500 premature deaths per year”, and some neighborhoods “are no longer livable for residents.” The president of the association Tous Citoyens! also plans to limit Airbnb rentals which, according to him, “weaken the social bond among residents” and transform certain buildings into dormitories for tourists, leading to increased rents. Mireille Damiano deems it urgent to act so that tourism does not degrade daily life and the environment.
The NFP for more responsible tourism
Anne-Laure Chaintron, a co-candidate of the Nice Front Populaire, acknowledges the city’s assets, including the sun, mountains, and cultural richness. The party emphasizes that tourism generates significant revenues but believes that “today we need to regulate tourism and reduce it.”
The NFP plans to involve sector professionals to find a balance between economic development and environmental preservation.
The party wishes to promote eco-responsible tourism, deseasonalized and decentralized, with free public transportation and accessible accommodations for everyone, such as public youth hostels or ecological campsites.
Diversifying the local economy
The Nice Front Populaire wants to reduce the negative effects of mass tourism on the city. Among the measures discussed this morning: limiting the arrival of yachts and cruises, considered “50 times more polluting than trains,” as explained by the candidate Florence Ciaravola. Among the other measures, the Nice Front Populaire aims to limit certain flights at Nice airport, regulate tourist coaches and manage guided group tours to avoid congestion in historic neighborhoods.
The Nice Front Populaire emphasizes its desire to collaborate with tourism actors to find solutions that suit everyone. Mireille Damiano, opposition municipal councilor, warns: “it is not us alone who will decide all this. Our leitmotif is consultation.”
“Exiting overtourism does not mean rejecting tourism but taking control to better support the tourism industry and develop sustainable and respectful tourism,” explains the entrepreneur Christophe Vasseur, also a co-candidate on the list.
For the Nice Front Populaire, exiting overtourism must allow for the diversification of the local economy. According to Christophe Vasseur, currently, 40 to 45% of jobs and a share of the GDP depend on tourism. The party proposes to support sectors such as the social and solidarity economy, energy renovation, health, and agriculture.
