Closure of Marineland: Côte d'Azur France Tourism deplores "a hard blow to the attractiveness of the territory"

"A calamitous management of the affair." Nearly two months after the closure of Marineland park in Antibes, tourism professionals continue to worry about the attractiveness of the area.

"It's a hard blow for the attractiveness of the entire territory, for the image of the territory," assures Alexandra Borchio-Fontimp, president of Côte d'Azur France Tourisme, on the set of BFM Nice Côte d'Azur this Tuesday, February 25.

"I'm thinking especially of the hundred employees who find themselves out of work," she says.

The park closed citing "serious financial difficulties" earlier this year, while a law banning cetacean shows and captivity is set to come into force at the end of 2026.

According to Alexandra Borchio-Fontimp, this tourist disaster is today the consequence of poor management by the State, which "put the cart before the horse". "Before asking for the closure, which was requested by a certain number of animal rights groups, it would have been necessary to plan ahead first."

An anticipation as necessary for the economic future of the park as for the two orcas of Marineland, Wikie and Keijo. "The animals are still in this park", recalls the one who is also a senator (LR).

She believes that sanctuaries should have been created to take in animals currently in captivity, before legislating. "The government announced a few days ago 'we're going around in circles', and yes we are going around in circles," she denounces.

So what about the future of the park and its attraction zone? While no information has been communicated on the future of the Marineland site itself, Alexandra Borchio-Fontimp hopes that the activity center will remain popular with tourists and locals.

"This area around La Brague is already an event area since there are other parks and other recreational activities in this neighborhood," she recalls. "I hope it will remain in this area, since it is identified as such."

Marineland no longer welcomes spectators but still has several cetaceans in its enclosure. A request to transfer the orcas was filed in mid-February to a Spanish park, located in Tenerife on the Canary Islands.