The Opal Coast Draws More and More Tourists Every Year

Culture, beaches, sports facilities, sites steeped in history, breathtaking viewpoints: the Nord is a region full of assets, and tourists are catching on. More and more flock there every year. Holidaymakers and tourism professionals alike find what they're looking for.

The thriving tourist trade on the Opal Coast

The pattern keeps repeating over time: the number of tourists coming to stay in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region keeps growing.

The Opal Coast is now recognised as a fully-fledged tourist destination, and visitor numbers keep rising steadily. Bookings are soaring, whether for short, medium or long stays, across every type of accommodation.

According to INSEE figures, this trend has been gathering pace since 2010. The Nord has seen the strongest growth in overnight stays booked, after Brittany and Normandy. The last four years have recorded a 21% rise in visitor numbers, with a remarkable peak in 2018, when tourism was further boosted by the centenary of the First World War.

A strong draw for tourists of every kind

If the Opal Coast enjoys such success, it's because it has all the assets needed to appeal to as many people as possible. As a result, the holidaymakers who stay there come from all walks of life.

Activities for everyone

There's no shortage of activities and remarkable sites that make the Opal Coast so appealing from a tourist point of view. Historic monuments, museums, belfries, the Centre national de la mer, beaches, sand yachts, lighthouses, viewpoints… offer a rich variety that draws a real melting pot of tourists.

In the Hauts-de-France, families mix with globetrotters, holidaymakers seeking rest rub shoulders with sports enthusiasts. Culture lovers aren't forgotten either. Everything's in place so that everyone, whatever they're after, enjoys a pleasant stay.

Major events are also held across the area and draw large numbers of tourists on their own, such as the Lille braderie, the Dunkirk carnival, and the Berck kite-flying meet…

An international clientele

More and more French people from all walks of life are choosing the Opal Coast as their holiday or weekend destination. The region also draws plenty of French tourists from nearby, particularly residents of the Grand Est and the Paris region.

But the Opal Coast's appeal reaches well beyond national borders too, with an international clientele. Belgian visitors benefit from the Hauts-de-France's direct proximity to neighbouring Belgium. The British, also geographically very close, are also numerous among those choosing the Opal Coast for their holidays.

Tourists also flock in from much further afield. Germans, Dutch, Swiss, Italians, Poles, Spaniards, Americans are nationalities frequently found among Opal Coast tourists. The region also sees a very strong presence of Australian, Chinese and Indian tourists.

A favourite holiday destination, even through crises

The Opal Coast shoreline holds its own even when the tourism sector is in crisis. This proved especially true with the arrival of the coronavirus.

With lockdown in force, tourist numbers fell everywhere in France during the Covid-19 health crisis. But the Hauts-de-France coastline was less affected by this decline, which only cemented the Opal Coast's status as a tourist destination further.

Faced with the possibility of a second wave and its uncertain consequences for travel, French people favoured destinations that were geographically close to home. Well served by transport links and quick to reach from the capital, the Opal Coast benefited from this local tourism.

The sheer length of the coastline and the shape of its wide beaches also reassured tourists when it came to keeping their distance without too much difficulty.

Favourable weather shifts for the Nord

While the Nord long suffered from a reputation for chilly, even gloomy weather, the Opal Coast has enjoyed strong sunshine in recent years. At the same time, the rise in temperatures recorded in recent years, warmer yet still bearable, especially by the sea, has helped drive up tourist bookings in the region.

The efforts of the Hauts-de-France region, both in terms of communication to boost its image and in terms of its capacity to welcome visitors, have paid off. The Opal Coast is a must-visit destination for holidays and short breaks alike, one that tourists from around the world love to visit and, for some, revisit, won over by the atmosphere, the beauty of the area and the wide choice of activities.