Gironde Tourism Plummets 50% Amid Massive Wildfire, Recovery Underway

Tourism in France's Gironde region experienced a significant downturn, with visitor numbers falling by nearly 50% following a massive wildfire that began on July 22.

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Over the first two weeks of the fires - which began on July 22 - the decline was much more marked.

The decline was most pronounced during the initial two weeks of the blaze, which ravaged over 42,000 hectares. Mathias Saura, president of Medef Gironde, noted that the drop was "much more marked" during this period. However, recent weeks have seen a near return to normal, with the attendance decrease now limited to between 3% and 5%.

These losses have heavily impacted the local economy, as the tourism sector contributes between 7% and 10% of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region's GDP. Massive cancellations surged in late July after the fire, the largest in France since 1949, erupted in the northern Arcachon basin. Prefect Sophie Brocas had strongly advised vacationers to leave or postpone their trips until the fires were under control, a message that deeply affected tourism professionals.

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Gironde is a welcoming destination.

To mitigate further damage and salvage the remaining tourist season, the regional tourism committee launched a communication campaign in early August. They are emphasizing that "Gironde is a welcoming destination" and that air quality "conforms to standards." The campaign highlights that tourism supports nearly 40,000 jobs and generates 3.8 billion euros in economic revenue for the area. Meanwhile, government officials, including Sébastien Lecornu, visited Gironde to meet with local representatives and discuss reconstruction efforts.

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The air is compliant with standards.