Following a summer season of monitoring attendance on the Atlantic beaches of Gironde, the GIP Littoral and its partners have compiled an initial review of summer 2026. Supported by the European project SMART Coast, the objective for 2027 is to consolidate ongoing actions and extend this initiative to other coastal areas.
Since 2022, as part of the Beach Welcome Strategy, attendance counting systems have been deployed in several beach parking lots. This initiative has strengthened, incorporating new municipalities and improving tools for local authorities and users. A new procurement process in 2025 allowed for the continuation of these efforts.
The current system combines parking occupancy measurement, providing real-time information to users, and the « Mes Plages Océanes » communication campaign, which disseminates practical information and awareness messages.
The 2026 season was significantly impacted by fires, leading to temporary beach closures. On three sites north of the Arcachon Bay (Le Gressier, Grand Crohot, and Carcans Océan), nearly 368,000 vehicles were counted between July and September, a decrease of 18.7% compared to 2025. However, prior to the fires, attendance had increased by 20% during weekends.
The counting system confirms its value in understanding attendance dynamics and assisting local authorities in their decisions. Concurrently, Mes Plages Océanes has increased its visibility with over 8,100 followers on Facebook and Instagram (+28% compared to 2025). Campaigns generated nearly 3,800 consultations of the parking fill tool in just 18 days. Despite disruptions from summer events, these results are encouraging.
For 2027, the European project SMART Coast presents new opportunities. It will enable GIP Littoral to enhance its support for local authorities in managing tourist flows, with European funding covering 75% of eligible costs. This support could finance improvements to existing tools, their broader deployment, as well as studies and the experimentation of innovative solutions for managing tourist flows.
A review meeting is scheduled for November 5, 2026, via videoconference, to discuss the next steps with current partners and interested territories. It will be followed by a brief presentation of the initial deliverables from the SMART Coast project.
Local authorities interested in these attendance management tools are invited to contact GIP Littoral to learn more about the initiative and share their needs for 2027. Contact: contact@giplittoral.fr.
