A reader survey by US magazine Travel and Leisure has put three French cities – Marseille, Cannes and Nice – in the top 30 of the world’s least friendly tourist destinations on the planet, reports FRANCE 24.
Titled “The World’s Unfriendliest Cities”, the Time Inc. publication asked its readers to rank 266 world destinations.
They put France’s second city Marseille, a major port on the Mediterranean, in fourth place.
“Many travellers found Marseille to be quite unkempt and gritty,” the magazine said, adding that “even with a relatively poor ‘friendliness’ score, many thought this port city to be far more laid-back and accommodating than Paris [which wasn’t in fact ranked as an unfriendly destination].”
Cannes, famous for its glitzy annual film festival, came in tenth position. Travel and Leisure described the seaside town as a “fading movie star” that is “most accommodating to visitors with major cash to spend”.
“Cannes is well-known for being wealthy, pretty, and, apparently, a bit snobby,” Travel and leisure commented, quoting readers who said “[Cannes’] charm is fading away” and “Cannes is like an aging beauty”.
In 22nd place, and a short hop east along France’s Mediterranean coast, Nice was the third French city named by the magazine's survey.