This is a world first: the Provence-Alpes-Côte-d'Azur region is joining forces with Waze in order to better control the flow of tourists in summer.

To avoid traffic jams in crowded car parks and tourist sites, the application will alert users and offer them alternative solutions.

Summer vacation is not far away.

A long-awaited moment, synonymous with pleasure, relaxation and escape, but which can also become annoying when there are too many people.

Who has not already turned an hour in search of a parking space or moaned while trampling in small alleys crammed with tourists?

Not ideal conditions which make visits less pleasant in high season.

To better manage the flow of tourists this summer, the Provence-Alpes-Côte-d'Azur region is teaming up with the Waze application.

A world first that aims to relieve congestion on busy sites.

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Reroute tourists to less frequented places

The device, tested in the summer of 2020 on a small scale, aims to alert Waze users as soon as they enter their destination into the app. “The initial observation is that we sometimes have too many people on some sites and not enough on others,” explains Loïc Chovelon, general manager of the Provence-Alpes-Côte-d'Azur Regional Tourism Committee. If the gauge of the site to which he wishes to go is already exceeded, and therefore it will be difficult to park and move around, a banner will be displayed to warn the motorist. "At that time, an alternative scenario will be proposed to him, adapted to the tourist site in question", specifies Loïc Chovelon.

This option can take several forms, in particular the proposal of another tourist site in the vicinity, highlighted by a "pin" Waze, or the reorientation towards a more distant car park but connected to the site by a system of shuttles.

"The condition we had set was that it be simple. The visitor will only be interested in the alternatives if they seem acceptable to him. If you have to park far away and take two buses, that cannot work. This is why we work with each natural park to establish the simplest scenario ", details the director general of the Tourism Committee of the PACA region.

Better regulate access to natural parks

The device therefore requires improvements, particularly in terms of public transport. Especially since it will be deployed, by July, in the four regional natural parks (Alpilles, Préalpes d'Azur, Sainte-Baume, Verdon) and the four national natural parks (Calanques, Ecrins, Mercantour, Port-Cros ) of Provence-Alpes-Côte-d'Azur, areas that are not always well served. But the region is confident, it is based on a first test carried out last summer on four smaller sites, including Colorado Provençal. Of the 325,000 motorists who were offered alternative destinations, about 8% changed their plans to less frequented places.

"It's a good start, it will go crescendo this summer," said Loïc Chovelon. For him, this partnership is also a good way to better distribute tourists. “More than 60% of the region's territory is located in natural parks,” recalls the director general of the Tourism Committee of the PACA region. "As soon as you go a little beyond where you wanted to go, even if only 10-15 minutes on foot, you can find yourself all alone in a place as magical as this one. 'we see in all the guides. "