LE FIGARO. -
At what point in its history did Monaco become a tourist destination?
Thomas FOUILLERON. -
Until the 1860s, arriving in Monaco was a matter of chance.
In this land enclave halfway between the ports of Marseille and Genoa, it took bad luck at sea for travelers to make a detour.
In 1848, when Menton and Roquebrune seceded, the Principality found itself amputated by 4/5ths of its territory and became a strip 500 meters wide by 4 kilometers long.
The economic lung which was the production of citrus fruits is severely damaged.
At that time, making Monaco a “destination” was a matter of survival.
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How did it go?
While gambling was banned in France and Italy, Charles III turned to businessman François Blanc, a specialist in gambling houses and nicknamed "the magician of Homburg" for having transformed the German city into a capital. of gambling. He founded the Société des Bains de mer and set up the Casino in 1863 in a new district, called Monte Carlo, on the Spélugues plateau.
With Monte-Carlo, François Blanc did some marketing.
The reception of the players required an opening up of the city, which allowed the reinforcement of the beginnings of the railway, but also of the rooms, tables and a cultural offer to entertain this new public.
Thus was born the Opera, designed by Charles Garnier but also the Ballets de Monaco, or the arrival of the first rallies.
In the 1930s,
less aristocratic, more popular tourism is beginning to emerge, with the opening of the Monte Carlo Beach.
Several decades later, Prince Regnier 3 will recover the SBM, as a development tool for Monaco.
Read alsoHotel Monte-Carlo Beach in Monaco, the expert opinion of Le Figaro
How to understand
the emphasis placed on sustainable tourism
, in such a concrete city?
By its scale, Monaco can only act on “soft power”.
It's art and culture on the one hand.
But also current issues.
Albert 1er, nicknamed the explorer prince, embarked on oceanography and multiplied scientific campaigns around the world.
Under his reign, Monaco became the European capital of oceanography.
With its foundations, its scientific centers and its support for sustainable tourism, the Palace continues its work today.
