Over the last few years, France has undergone a major upheaval in its overall naturist offering, moving more towards à la carte naturism in response to customer demand.
The figures speak for themselves. In 10 years, almost 25 naturist campsites have disappeared, while almost 60 new gîtes and chambres d'hôtes have been created. And this new, more individualistic trend has been accentuated by the recent development of the Home-Camper website which, this year, will include nearly 250 private sites offering naturist accommodation for campers, caravanners or camper-vanners, for one or more nights, at very modest prices in most regions.
For the 2024 season, two new naturist campsites are opening in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine and Hauts-de-France regions, and two more are announced for 2025. At the same time however, there have been two closures, and at least six medium-sized naturist sites have changed ownership, half of which have been taken over by groups with objectives and commercial methods that are far removed from those of their naturist-leaning creators.
Since Covid in particular, the demand for vacations where the buzzwords are ‘nature’ and ‘rejuvenation’ has become more marked: something naturism has offered since its inception. Today, there is a much wider range of accommodation available, both nationally and in terms of the diversity of facilities, from simple bed and breakfasts located in inland rural areas to larger concerns in the major coastal resorts.