SUMMARY
This Elabe survey, conducted for La Tribune Dimanche on July 4, 2026, and published in Ici, ranks 150 “tourist destinations” into three categories: seaside, mountain, and inland France. It assesses ideal summer destinations—that is, a vision of vacation rather than actual visitor numbers.
Keywords: Alps, tourist appeal, destinations, ideal destination, survey, summer, Atlantic coast, Mediterranean coast, North Coast/English Channel, Jura, Massif Central, seaside, mountains, Pyrenees, regions, tourist resort, tourism, regional tourism, verbatim, Vosges, inland France.
Illustration: © Elabe
Survey Methodology:
The study is based on two online surveys conducted in June 2026, using a representative sample of French men and women aged 18 and older (quotas: gender, age, occupation, region, and urban area category):
- Preliminary selection: 1,000 respondents each evaluate 40 municipalities randomly selected from their category among the 475 tourist destinations. The top 50 in each category are selected. For “Inland France,” a population cap of 50,000 applies.
- Ranking: 2,013 respondents rank their top 5 favorite destinations among the 50 selected (5 points for 1st place, 1 point for 5th). The score is the sum of the points.
The method is rigorous, featuring randomization and a ranking scale that emphasizes the strength of preference rather than a simple mention.
There are, however , some limitations :
- A sample limited to “tourist resorts.” Destinations that are highly evocative but fall outside administrative boundaries are automatically excluded.
- A familiarity bias: well-known destinations have an advantage over excellent but lesser-known ones.
- A ranking that reflects reputation and image rather than actual visitor numbers: destinations that are very popular in the summer, such as La Baule (50th), La Grande-Motte (37th), or Argelès (34th), carry little weight.
- Ski resorts are evaluated based on a single season—summer—which is not their peak season.
Key findings from the survey:
- Coast: Île de Ré (1,331 points), Biarritz (1,046), and Île d’Oléron (1,010) lead the way. Saint-Malo, Bonifacio, and Ajaccio follow. Islands feature heavily in the top 10.
- Mountains: Annecy (2,527) blows the competition out of the water, far ahead of Chamonix (1,391) and Aix-les-Bains (1,137). The Alps occupy 8 spots in the top 10, and 67% of French people have a “favorite” destination there.
- Inland France: Carcassonne (1,394), Les Baux-de-Provence (1,301), and Rocamadour (1,272) are virtually tied. Medieval heritage and thermal spas shape the rankings.
At the regional level, Nouvelle-Aquitaine dominates the coast (28% of “favorite” destinations), Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes dominates the mountains (65%), and PACA dominates inland areas (23%). This ranking highlights the French people’s attachment to iconic landscapes, islands, Alpine lakes, and historic cities. It also reveals the strength of regional ties and generational differences, especially along the coast: 18- to 24-year-olds choose Nice and Saint-Tropez, while those over 65 prefer the Charente Islands. The mountains are the most universally popular, with the same top three destinations across nearly all age groups.
