A picturesque town in the south of France has seen its population drop by almost 40% because of a rise in short term holiday lets.
Nestled between Nice and Monaco on the French Riviera, Villefranche-sur-Mer boasts charming streets, beautiful beaches and stunning views across the Mediterranean Sea.
But an influx of tourists drawn to the town’s charms has resulted in a surge in second homes, which now overtake the number of main residences.
A study carried out by the company Touriz, cited in the French newspaper nice-matin, shows Villefranche-sur-Mer has 2,200 main homes compared to 3,200 thirty years ago. The number of second homes is higher, at 2,600.
Mayor of Villefranche-sur-Mer, Christophe Trojani, told the same publication the town has…
