Marseille has rapidly changed from a neglected port city into a fashionable, highly promoted tourist destination, with visitor numbers expected to approach seven million this year. While tourism brings jobs and substantial revenue, residents increasingly argue that the speed of the change is damaging neighbourhood life and eroding the city’s distinctive character.

Protests have emerged in visitor hotspots including Les Goudes and Vallons des Auffes, where locals cite overcrowding, noise, litter, rising prices and pressure for more restaurants. More than 20,000 local jobs and €1.4bn in annual income are linked to tourism, but criticism of Airbnb rentals and cruise ships has grown as gentrification and strained beaches, transport and public spaces fuel fears that Marseille could follow Barcelona or Lisbon.