Table of contents
Ecotourism, also called ecotourism, refers to the fact of avoiding any damage to nature or altering the balance of the environment. A trend that has been growing in recent times, in such a way that ecology and tourism merge.
Beyond what a tourist can enjoy, the idea is to promote a sense of ethics, the well-being of the region and the preservation of the environment that receives tourism. But it also seeks to make this awareness sustainable over time and preserve it for the future.
There is a travel platform on the Internet, called LeLynx.fr, which among its activities is also responsible for comparing online the most requested market offers, at the level of tourism; work they do for free. Through certain comparisons they were dedicated to obtain a parameter of the most popular and ecological destinations on the Instagram platform, about the country of France.
For this, they relied on the sources obtained from Expedia’s online travel agency and the Blue and Green group, which is formed by people who are interested in ecology and the environment, who carry out many events to conserve them. Then, based on these named sources and the amount of hashtags that each destination had obtained on Instagram, the result was obtained.
Once the figures and comparisons were obtained, the report was completed this year 2022, in the month of February. The 10 most popular Ecotourism destinations in France according to Instagram were thus obtained and ranked from highest to lowest, which we will mention in this article.
Why is ecotourism growing lately in different countries?
It is really due to several causes. In addition to raising awareness to avoid damage to both nature and the environment, travelers have realized that it is cheaper tourism; and as we know, the global economy is not in its best moments. Therefore, it is a way to continue enjoying a vacation.
In addition, it allows you to get close to the beauty of nature, to know those corners that give you peace and allow you to rest and get away from the stress of the city and work. Likewise, other activities such as horseback riding, hiking or biking, among others, are added. It also helps to boost the economy of small and rural towns.
What were the results of the top 5 destinations according to Instagram?
In 1st place stands out the French Riviera, with 4,887,696 hashtags. Also called the Côte d’Azur, which is the name given to the southeast of France and Monaco as a whole, at the level of the coastline. One of the centers of tourism that hosts places like Saint Tropez and Cannes, famous for the film festival; or Monte Carlo, in the Principality of Monaco, among others.
But this Côte d’Azur is not only cities and beaches, but one of the destinations at the level of tourism that has been concerned for some decades with ecotourism and its sustainability over time. For example, there are the Lavender Fields of Grasse; in addition, most of the medieval villages are being preserved, as well as its beaches.
In 2nd place we find the French Brittany, with 1,311,244 hashtags. This region is located in the northwest of the French country. It has many tourist centers, being a mountainous peninsula, such as Saint-Malo and the fine Dinard; built on the rock in the English Channel, and are walled.
The coast is famous for its pink granite and sand, and preserves its prehistoric megaliths called menhirs. The ecotourism of this Brittany town has been recognized by Green Destinations, thanks to its energy saving and recycling initiatives.
In 3rd place we have Angers, with a number of hashtags of 1,043,541 on Instagram. This city, located in the Loire Valley, offers beautiful gardens and parks to enjoy nature. Among them is one with a good variety of plants, vegetables, herbs and fruits; a whole organic world.
In addition, it houses monuments of interest such as, for example, the Castle of King Renato the Good, which dates from the thirteenth century, with 600 m of extension in its circumference. It also has 17 towers and beautiful gardens; it currently serves as a museum, which houses the largest and oldest collection of medieval tapestry on the planet.
In 4th place was the abbey of Mont Saint-Michel, also called the Wonder, a World Heritage Site for being the most important architectural and natural monument and the favorite of travelers; receiving about 2.5 million visitors annually, a tourist jewel of Normandy.
For the 5th place we find La Camargue, with 524,657 hashtags. It is located in the central and southern part of the country, belonging to the department of Bouches du Rhône. We are talking about a wetland, considered the best in Europe, with an area of about 750 square kilometers, with marshes, reed beds, ponds and forests.
It is home to pink flamingos and a variety of 400 types of birds, both migratory and resident. It is home to an ancient and beautiful breed of white horses; a paradise for tourists and naturalists to visit.
What was the result of the other top 5 most popular Ecotourism destinations according to Instagram in France?
In 6th place is Vannes, with a number of hashtags of 489,167. This is a municipality located in northeastern France and belongs to the French Brittany; this town is walled. Internally there are cobbled and narrow streets, in addition to the Cathedral of Saint Pierre, with Romanesque Gothic style.
Its Place des Lices is distinguished by the houses that have their wooden structures. Also, to the south are located several restaurants and the Port, with the boats that sail the Gulf of Morbihan.
Chamonix Mont Blanc, located near the borders of France, Italy and Switzerland, is in 7th place with 332,233 hashtags. A tourist area, being Mont Blanc the highest part of the famous Alps; where skiing is practiced, above all. All the time the funiculars are working, taking visitors to different nearby peaks; among them Aiguille du Midi and also to Punta Helbronner.
In 8th place is the Canal du Midi or Canal du Midi, with 122,899 hashtags, located towards the south of the French country. Canal dating from the 17th century, a way to navigate and know France, linking the river in Toulousse with the Mediterranean; and they are called the channel of the 2 seas because it connects the Mediterranean with the Atlantic Ocean.
Likewise, some 60,000 trees of different varieties, including giant banana trees, were planted along the sides of the river channel, contributing to the natural and pleasant scenery of the road; both for those on bicycles and on foot or simply sailing.
For the 9th place was Aigues Mortes, with 116,707 hashtags on Instagram; which is a French municipality, but also a town that belongs to the District of Nîmes, in the Occitania area. A very original city, completely walled, which was built in the thirteenth century and since then, until 1481, was the main port of the Mediterranean.
With the passing of the centuries, the accumulation of sand, silt and at the same time the distance from the coast, the port began to lose its function; and in 1481 Provence displaced it by Marseilles and Toulon.
Finally, in 10th place, with 69,403 hashtags, is Lake Annecy, located in the eastern part of France. The lake dates back some 18,000 years, and is said to have been formed by the melting of alpine glaciers. It is also considered the cleanest lake on the planet and the second largest in the country, after the Bourget.
