The Atlantic Sunset project is pleased to share the master’s dissertation of Maxime Le Duc Krivtsova, a student at the University of Angers who completed his internship within the project.
How can sunsets help coastal destinations showcase their identity and enrich their tourism offer? This question lies at the heart of the dissertation, which explores how tourism stakeholders on the French Atlantic coast use sunsets as a resource for tourism development and promotion.
The research focuses on three pilot areas: Pléneuf-Val-André in Côtes-d’Armor, the Pointe de Corsen in Finistère, and Notre-Dame-de-Monts in Vendée. Through interviews and field observations, it examines the places, experiences and local characteristics that stakeholders wish to highlight, alongside their target audiences and promotional objectives.
The work also contributes to the design of Atlantic Sunset tourism brochures tailored to each pilot área of France. These materials connect the research with practical communication tools, exploring how sunset viewing can complement existing tourism activities and respond to visitors’ interest in nature and opportunities to disconnect.
Completed in collaboration with the University of Angers and the ESO research laboratory, the dissertation forms part of the second year of the Master’s programme in Geography, Spatial Planning, Environment and Development for the 2025–2026 academic year. It was written under the academic supervision of Marion Ille-Roussel and the professional supervision of Quentin Brouard-Sala and Emmanuel Jaurand.
By making this dissertation publicly available, Atlantic Sunset shares research that contributes to its wider aim: exploring the potential of sunsets as a tourism resource along Europe’s Atlantic coast, with attention to sustainability, local identity and visitor experiences.
The full dissertation is available to read and download here.