The Mercantour Park is one of the 11 national parks in our country. It covers an area of 1,800 km² across 2 departments and includes a population of 23,500 inhabitants.
In 2020, Storm Alex destroyed a large part of the trails and severely impacted the Park’s activities. Today, since the beginning of spring, the vast majority of the trails have been restored and are now accessible to the general public. A budget of 2 million euros is still needed to complete the work to fully return to normal. Apart from a few planned finalizations, everything has been put in place to offer seasonal visitors a warm welcome, while respecting biodiversity.
10 Years of Ecotourism
Since 2012, the association Mercantour Ecotourism has been implementing the principles of the European Charter for Sustainable Tourism and the Esprit Parc National brand.
This commitment includes an organized effort to best preserve local wildlife. As part of this approach, the Park has implemented a program to reduce light pollution. This program allows for the conservation of bat colonies that are significantly impacted by artificial lights.
To maximize the protection of this natural area from human intervention, the department signed a Green Deal agreement yesterday morning with the presence of Mercantour Park President and President of the Alpes-Maritimes Department Charles Ange Ginesy, Aline Comeau, the Director of Mercantour Park, and Xavier Beck, the 1st Vice President of the Alpes-Maritimes Department.
As part of this agreement, the Department is committed to:
- Preserving cultural and architectural heritage
- Conserving biodiversity
- Supporting and implementing controlled sustainable development, particularly in agriculture, tourism, energy, mobility, and transport infrastructure
- Developing actions for the enhancement and management of natural, cultural, human, and scientific heritage
- Promoting ecological transition, fighting against climate change and light pollution
- Strengthening environmental education and raising awareness of preservation issues
