Swimming In The Seine Is Just The Start

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Long before the first tourist bus rumbles toward the Eiffel Tower on a sultry late summer morning, you’ll find Parisians staking their claim along the Seine.

At Baignade du Bras Marie, locals show up just after sunrise to find chaise lounges overlooking the slow-moving river. They have their morning café and read a book. And they wait.

Baignade du Bras Marie is one of three sites where Parisians can swim in the Seine — a once unthinkable activity. At 8:30 a.m. the lifeguards show up, the river opens for bathing, and people take the plunge into the cool water.

If you’re watching the scene unfold, you may wonder why anyone would want to swim in the Seine. The river has been synonymous with pollution for almost a century. Urban sewage and farmland runoff turned it into a toxic canal.

Today, Parisians appear pleased — and proud — to have it back. This is their way of showing it.

“Many Parisians have taken a dip,” says Evelyn Gong, who teaches operations management at Carnegie Mellon University. “This historical improvement on the Seine not only attracts new tourists but also makes those who have visited curious to visit again.”

Paris is turning even greener after the Olympics

Cleaning up the Seine at a cost of $1.5 billion is this city’s most visible sustainability project. But it is by no means the only one.

Paris has long struggled with balancing millions of visitors against protecting its neighborhoods, culture, and environment. As the city looks beyond its Olympic legacy, the urgency of its sustainable tourism efforts has never been greater. From the monumental cleaning of the Seine to the subtle shifts in daily life, Paris is trying to rewrite the rule book for how a global city can host the world while safeguarding its soul.

This audacious vision, starting with a swim in the once-forbidden river, extends to almost every corner of Parisian life, fundamentally changing how visitors experience this iconic destination.

“Sustainability is much more than a trend in the Parisian tourism industry,” says Corinne Menegaux, managing director of Paris je t’aime, Paris’ tourist office. “It represents a genuine commitment from all professionals to meet the evolving needs of consumers.”

Paris je t’aime is actively coordinating this city-wide effort. Among the initiatives are the promotion of certified green credentials for hotels, developing “slow tourism” itineraries that encourage exploring neighborhoods on foot, supporting local businesses by featuring them in official guides, and working to align the entire hospitality sector behind the common goal of reducing tourism’s footprint.

But that’s not all.

Greening the Parisian commute

The transformation you see in the Seine is mirrored in the streets above it. Paris is nudging people out of taxis and cars. It’s a concerted effort to make getting around as green as possible, and travelers are noticing. You see way more people on bikes and electric scooters than ever before, especially in the mornings. Protected bike lanes, once a novelty, have become the default on major corridors like rue Rivoli and rue Sébastopol, making it normal to see whole families cycling. The city even designates car-free zones around major attractions, like the Champs-Élysées, on weekends.

Public transit is another cornerstone of this green push. The Line 14 subway extension now whisks you from Orly Airport to the city center in under half an hour, nudging airport trips off the road and onto rail.

Many buses now run on electric or biomethane, a difference you can feel—or rather, not feel—in the noticeable lack of combustion engine noise. Paris has made rail the default for airport access and intercity trips, recognizing that it’s time-competitive on many routes for many routes. For tourists, this means a single fare for airport travel and across all Métro and regional train lines. (Getting a ticket, however, is not easy. You have to either stand in a long line or download two apps and pay for your ticket by credit card. It’s not the simple tap-to-pay you find in Sydney or Melbourne.)

Walking tours are also gaining prominence, minimizing car use and encouraging a deeper connection with the city.

This isn’t accidental. Paris is actively positioning itself as a “15-minute city,” a place where most attractions are reachable on foot or by bike in a few minutes. Paris wants to create a more authentic experience that many visitors would prefer. The city’s long-standing commitment to sustainable mobility endures even after last year’s Olympics, where every event was easily accessible on foot, by bike, or by public transport.

Hotels are going green, too

Where you sleep also plays a part in this green transformation. Travelers are increasingly asking about eco-friendly accommodations in Paris. From the industry side, properties that promote energy-saving certifications or offer carbon-offset partnerships tend to stand out in search results and get more interest.

Suad Krkusic, a frequent visitor to Paris, notes consistency remains a challenge. While some hotels walk the walk, others promote “green” without much follow-through.

“As a traveler, the difference between genuine effort and marketing spin becomes clear to me very fast,” says Krkusic.

But many properties are making real strides. One standout is HOY, a boutique hotel designed from the ground up to be sustainable, according to Michelle Martin, founder of Travara, a sustainable travel media company.

HOY restored a previous building rather than opting for new construction, used sustainable materials like chemical-free lime paint, and offers refillable, nontoxic toiletries delivered by bicycle from a local partner. Other efforts across the hotel include reducing plastic use by offering glass bottles for refilling, providing bulk amenities instead of single-use soaps and shampoos, and having housekeeping services on request. You’ll also see recyclable wooden combs, toothbrushes, and even room key cards.

“It’s one of the best examples I’ve experienced, hands down,” says Martin.

Energy efficiency is another key focus. Properties promote certifications, use LED lighting, install flow regulators on taps and showers, and employ reversible air-conditioning for more efficient energy use. Some groups are even retrofitting HVAC systems and tracking energy use more closely.

Finding properties with credible eco-labels like Green Key is becoming easier. Small neighborhood hotels like Maison Proust and Maison Souquet promote an ethos of locality, making use of existing buildings and furnishing them with antiques and repurposed art. They also prioritize digital tools to minimize paper use.

Even if you’re staying in a long-term rental, sustainability efforts are actively encouraged. Companies like Blueground are directly engaging residents by emailing practical tips to reduce their energy footprint. Its guidelines include optimizing thermostat settings, minimizing electricity and hot water use, and leveraging natural light. The aim is to promote a collective impact without sacrificing comfort.

In Paris, a taste of green

The culinary scene in Paris is embracing sustainability, focusing on minimizing waste and maximizing local sourcing. At De Vie, a newly opened bar, co-owner Jessica Fitzgerald highlighted their commitment: The bar operates entirely without ice, a significant source of water and energy waste in bar operations.

“We exclusively use French spirits and produce, minimizing food miles and carbon emissions as everything is sourced from within the country,” she adds.

Ruben López, co-founder of Take a Chef, a platform that connects people with private chefs, says visitors are driving the change.

“Travelers are increasingly looking for authentic dining experiences that highlight local producers and seasonal ingredients,” he explains. “By sourcing directly from nearby farms and markets, chefs not only reduce environmental impact but also connect guests more deeply with the Parisian terroir.”

On a broader scale, plant-based options are becoming increasingly available. Blues musician Jack Lewis has noticed the spread of Land and Monkeys, a chain of plant-based bakeries, across the French capital. And there are vegan restaurants like B Better and Le Potager du Marais, that are real standouts. That’s significant because France has historically been a challenging place to find plant-based options, and this trend represents the private sector responding to public desire for more sustainable food choices. Many cafés and bakeries are also moving away from single-use plastics and offering compostable packaging.

Water conservation is also visible throughout the city. Drinking water fountains are everywhere, making it easy and cheap to refill bottles and visibly cutting down on plastic use. You’ll find essentially no plastic cups or straws in many establishments. Even at grocery stores and farmer’s markets, produce and meat are labeled with their origin, allowing consumers to make informed choices about local sourcing.

Preserving culture and community in the City of Light

Sustainable tourism isn’t just about the environment. It’s also about supporting local businesses and preserving the unique character of Parisian communities. Companies like ToursByLocals, for instance, empower local guides who operate as independent business owners, ensuring that the majority of money spent on tours goes directly to the community. These guides often take travelers to local shops where they can buy local products, food, and handcrafted items, supporting increased job opportunities.

“We’re shaping a better outcome for all players in the industry with a more socially responsible, connected approach,” says Lisa Chen, CEO of ToursByLocals.

Another tour company, Eating Europe, focuses on shining a spotlight on small, family-run food shops and restaurants that are increasingly threatened by short-term rental tourism and development. Kenny Dunn, the founder of Eating Europe, says bringing travelers directly into these spaces helps preserve them as living parts of the city’s culture. Guests appreciate not just an authentic experience, but also an understanding of the fragility of these traditions.

Local tour operator VeniVidiParis works exclusively with Parisian guides and local suppliers, ensuring that every journey directly supports families and neighborhood businesses. Sarah Truong, the company’s CEO, says they often recommend “gems over icons” — like the Marmottan Museum instead of the Orsay, or the Trianon over Versailles — to offer visitors experiences that are less crowded but equally rich.

“This allows travelers to engage with locals and strengthens local communities,” she adds.

Big plans for Paris infrastructure

Paris’ commitment to sustainability is now part of its DNA.

The city has been undergoing a transformation for decades, long before “15-minute city” became a buzzphrase. Urban gardens now replace former parking spaces, making the city feel greener.

Crowd management at major sites is also evolving. The Louvre, for example, now caps daily entries at about 30,000 visitors and requires timed tickets, a measure that reduces pressure on the building and its neighborhood.

And, of course, there’s the crown jewel of sustainability: the Seine restoration. It’s a prime example of massive infrastructure change that allows Parisians and visitors to finally enjoy public swimming after a century. If you’re someone who visited Paris in the 80s and 90s, seeing people swimming in the Seine might seem surreal. But it is very much a part of the sustainable future of Paris.

The journey to sustainability is not without its challenges

Despite these significant strides, the journey toward comprehensive sustainability in Paris is not without its obstacles. Greenwashing is still a problem (a proposed new EU law may help clear things up). Single-use plastics haven’t entirely disappeared, particularly around large events and takeout businesses.

And during peak summer travel season, despite the crowd control and the timed entry admissions, Paris is still overrun by tourists.

The Louvre’s daily entries, for instance, still far exceed its intended capacity, leading to issues that have triggered employee strikes. Densification from short-term rentals, especially from platforms like Airbnb, continues to affect neighborhood character, and not necessarily for the better.

Paris has the infrastructure for lower-impact urban tourism: an extensive rail network, a growing bike culture, widespread water refill stations, credible eco-labels, and smarter crowd management tools. The city’s aggressive push toward sustainable transportation, its innovative waste reduction in food and beverage, and its commitment to community-led tourism are not just isolated efforts but threads in a larger quilt of change.

The monumental cleanup of the Seine, allowing public swimming after a century, may be the most visible symbol of what’s possible when a city truly commits to sustainability. But it is the smaller projects — the hotels eliminating single-use soaps, the restaurants serving local produce — that will take Paris to the finish line.