All-Inclusive Exhibition: Photographer Kourtney Roy and Citéco Challenge Our Views on Tourism, Through Our Photos

With her vintage aesthetic and striking photographs, artist Kourtney Roy humorously highlights the contradictions of global tourism. Don't miss the exhibition All Inclusive, running from February 20 to September 20, 2026, at the City of Economy.

Thinking of escaping to the sun for a vacation? Just a heads-up—your getaway might not be as perfect as you imagine... The Cité de l'économie in Paris is hosting an exhibition featuring the work of photographer Kourtney Roy. The Canadian artist and filmmaker offers her unique perspective on tourism, highlighting its glittering promises as well as its pitfalls...

Running from February 20 to September 20, 2026, the exhibition All Inclusive takes visitors behind the scenes of a major global industry. Kourtney Roy showcases three of her photographic series: In Between Worlds, The Tourist, and Sorry, No Vacancy. While these images appear colorful and sunny at first glance, they reveal stark realities that are often hidden from view... or deliberately ignored.

Kourtney Roy stars in her own photographs. Colors, fashion, backdrops: it’s easy to mistake her work for vintage travel advertisements from the 1950s. Yet, this contemporary artist, born in 1981, offers a sharp critique of today’s world. With humor and a keen artistic eye, Kourtney Roy challenges our travel habits. Behind images of cruise ships, swimming pools, and stereotypical scenes, she draws attention to pressing issues like climate change, migration, and the complex web of cultural and economic exchanges.

The All Inclusive exhibition takes a dual approach: visitors can marvel at highly crafted images, stunning photographs that depict an idyllic vacation fantasy. Yet behind this visual beauty lies a deeper, more complex narrative. Kourtney Roy here mimics the techniques of the tourism industry, which seduces us with promises of magical, glamorous getaways, all the while overlooking the environmental and social impacts of our travel habits on local communities...

The photographer showcases a powerful and striking visual world, while also offering a reflection on travel—an experience that can be as enriching and educational as it can be destructive. The artist doesn't criticize tourists but encourages us to reconsider our habits and their effects.

Travel is deeply intertwined with the economy: going on vacation requires financial resources, paid time off, purchasing plane or train tickets, and booking accommodations... All these financial exchanges contribute to the local economy of a tourist destination, but they can also put strain on local communities, leading to rising prices, crowding, and increased pollution. The tourism industry depends on a fragile balance, one that is not always easy to maintain.

The exhibition at the City of Economics is brief, but the photographs on display are playful, vibrant, and strikingly beautiful. Beneath their visual appeal, they carry multiple messages. The artist doesn't dictate one interpretation: behind each shot, viewers can find a multitude of stories and a variety of themes.

The original staging enhances the vacation vibe aligned with the theme of the exhibit. We would have loved to see even more photographs to extend the visit, but the artist’s work is well worth the detour.

To support this exploration, the museum offers several educational tools throughout the exhibit. These resources provide key insights into global tourism, highlighting its significance, the social inequalities it reveals, its environmental impact, and the role of marketing in shaping travel trends...

The All Inclusive exhibition promises an exciting journey into the world of tourism, unfolding in 2026 in Paris.

This test was conducted as part of a professional invitation. If your experience differs from ours, please let us know.