From maligned second city to Insta magnet: Marseille isFrance’s new capital of overtourism

The tide has turned for the city of Marseille. Over two decades ago, few could have imagined this once-maligned second city of France would rise to become one of the most sought-after destinations in a country known for its crowded tourist hotspots. Once characterized by stereotypes and plagued by some of Europe's most deprived neighborhoods, the port city had fallen out of favor, shunned by many, and considered a place best avoided.

Tourists waiting at the city's Saint-Charles station would often feel apprehensive, clutching their belongings as they prepared to catch connecting trains to the rural Provence or the azure beaches of the Côte d'Azur.

However, a transformation has taken place over the past two decades. Despite the persistence of poverty and drug gang violence in certain areas, Marseille has been reborn as a fashionable vacation spot. Recently, a local TV station even wondered if Marseille had become France's capital of tourism, following the revelation from Booking.com that the city had surpassed both Paris and Nice in terms of being the most-searched destination by French users of the site.

The surge in popularity is attributed largely to breathless foreign media coverage, with publications such as the New York Times featuring guides on a "36-hour visit to Marseille" in both 2019 and 2025. Influencers have seized upon the city's golden-hued aesthetic to promote its most Instagram-friendly locales, from seaside petanque to vocoder rap and pizza served on aluminum plates. As a result, tourist numbers are projected to reach nearly 7 million this year.