A report on France 3 regional TV looked at the effects of the development of mass tourism in the Lot, which has two of the country's major attractions.
50 years ago tens of thousands of pilgrims made the trip to Rocamadour to climb the stone steps on their knees to pray at the shrine of St Amadour. Nowadays most of the visitors are lay people in search of the beauty of the place. Pilgrims have shifted their attention to Lourdes. Locals believe that this has led their town to become a mere "centre commercial", with gift shops full of "made in China" merchandise. The priest in charge of the sanctuary wants to make Rocamadour into a pilgrim site on the route de St Jacques de Compostelle, to re-emphasise the spiritual aspect of the village.
The Gouffre de Padirac is France's most visited underground attraction, with over 450000 visitors per annum. For most of the time since the caverns were discovered in the 19th century they have been operated by local people, with local businesses profiting from the influx. But in recent years the owners have tried to bring the profits "in house" and the numbers of staff needed in high season are drawn from students paid "le SMIC" (minimum wage) rather than local people who know the grotto's history.
Finally the programme examined the growth of river tourism, with the opening of the river to more and more pleasure cruisers and private craft. Environmental factors concern various groups who worry about the effect of the boats on pollution and the river banks. Especially concerned were the local fishermen, who do not like the wash created by the boats, or the tendency of fishing lines to get caught up.
What seems inevitable is that the balance between the need to earn a living for country people and maintenance of the beauty of the places that attract the tourists is virtually impossible to achieve to everyone's satisfaction.
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