There are many things I think France gets “right”.

The pastries, of course, as well as the phenomenal amount of public footpaths that criss-cross the countryside. I’m also fond of how normal it is to have wine at lunch.

Recently, I discovered a new “right”: the way the country caters for — in fact, welcomes — campervans and motorhomes. It’s something the Island should strive to replicate.

For context, my husband and I are travelling through France in our van, and it couldn’t be easier. About 90 per cent of towns have “aires”, which are car parks where you can camp.

They are usually free, and some have toilets and places where you can empty your waste water. If not, you can find these facilities at most service stations.

This has made planning our trip incredibly easy, as it effectively needs no planning.

All the people we have met on route have one thing in common: they want to absorb the local culture, whether that’s eating, drinking, attending gigs or visiting historical sites.

The Isle of Wight has all of this to offer — in spades.

I can imagine the travellers we’ve met asking for the local beer, and then exclusively drinking Fuggle Dee Dum or Yachtsman’s Ale for the duration of their stay.

They would visit the Mermaid Gin distillery (especially if they could park overnight), eat at the Garlic Farm (and inevitably buy some of the world’s best garlic mayonnaise), and visit Ventnor, sampling the crab sandwiches for lunch and visiting the Smoking Lobster for dinner.

Most of them were fascinated when we spoke about the Isle of Wight. What’s it like there? Should we visit? Could we bring our van?

Imagine how many more would be interested if we could cater for them properly.

There are a few good spots (Cowes seafront, for example), but if they cannot visit each of our great towns in an island-wide tour, they’re unlikely to make the trip.

It could even be a money-maker for the council. If you provide enough spots, you could easily sell an Island-wide parking pass for £75 a week. It’s a bargain for the van owners at just over £10 a night, and could bring in thousands of pounds.

All of this would take a concerted effort from the council, businesses and local communities.

Pubs could allow travellers to park in exchange for buying a few beers (a common practice elsewhere in the UK), and car parks could be extended to provide spaces for vans.

Motorhome service points could be created at petrol stations where people could fill up with water and dispose of their black and grey waste for a small fee.

The good news is that word of mouth travels fast within this community, so it wouldn’t be long before businesses would feel the benefits.

So, while it might not be the most popular statement I could make in my first column for the County Press, there’s my proposition: the Isle of Wight should be more French.