Normandy once again named ‘Most Desirable Region in Europe’
Northern France’s historic spot voted top by leading British travel magazine readers
‘Windswept beaches’ were one of the reasons readers voted for Normandy as the ‘Most Desirable Region in Europe’
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Readers of a leading British travel magazine have voted the French region of Normandy as the ‘most desirable’ in Europe.
The announcement was made during the 24th edition of the Wanderlust Reader Travel Awards, said to be the biggest UK event of its kind.
The ceremony was held on November 5 at London’s National Gallery and hosted by English author and adventurer, Simon Reeve.
The awards saw more than 4.8 million votes cast by 208,000 people, with Normandy winning gold in the ‘Most Desirable Region in Europe’ category.
This is the second time that Normandy has won the title, previously receiving the award in 2022.
An attractive area
Located in the north of the country, Normandy is home to iconic French sites such as Mont Saint-Michel and Monet’s Giverny gardens, as well as cities including Caen and Rouen.
“Our readers described walking its windswept beaches, visiting family-run cider farms and standing in places where history still feels unmistakably present,” reads the Wanderlust result announcement.
The magazine also highlighted that Normandy is “set to be in the spotlight next year, thanks to the unprecedented exhibition of the Bayeux Tapestry at London’s British Museum.”
The region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine in the south-west of France also made the ranking, coming in fifth place.
Second place went to the Azores in Portugal, the Austrian Alps third, and Catalonia in Spain fourth.
More awards for France
The awards also saw France win silver in the ‘Most Desirable Destination for Culture and Heritage’ category just behind Greece, and in the ‘Most Desirable Destination for Gastronomy’ after Spain.
France also came fourth in both the ‘Most Desirable Country’ in Europe category, and the ‘Most Desirable Destination for Sustainability.’
Developments in French tourism
Official figures published by the French government show that in recent years, France has consistently been the top tourist destination in the world, welcoming over 100 million visitors in 2024.
Despite this, the country is investing in an ‘upgraded’ tourism strategy prioritising longer stays and luxury experiences, aiming to combat overtourism and boost sustainability.
Earlier this year the French government announced wide-ranging water-saving action plans for the country’s tourism and leisure sectors to work towards the national aim of reducing water consumption by 10% by 2030.
Holiday let platform Gîtes de France also reported recent renewed media interest, with director Solange Escure speaking to The Connexion about the company’s work promoting sustainable tourism and supporting short supply chains.
