video Finance Videos
Why France wants even more tourists?
Thursday, October 08, 2015 - 01:34
The number of tourists visiting France is expected to break records this year and the government is hoping to cash in with a campaign to boost the sector even further. But as Grace Pascoe reports, it might take more than that to revive the country's struggling economy.
▲ Hide Transcript
▶ View Transcript
Around fourteen million people visit the Notre Dame every year. It's the top tourist monument in Paris and France is the top tourist destination in the world . A position Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius is keen to maintain - and grow. He's investing 1 billion euros in the sector. (SOUNDBITE) (French) FRANCE'S MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS, LAURENT FABIUS, SAYING: "My aim is to see 100 million foreign tourists by 2020. Already this year France is set to break its record with more than 80 million." From shopping in Paris to skiing in the Alps - tourism makes up 7.4 percent of France's GDP. But is boosting a sector which is already thriving the answer to France's economic problems? Alastair McCaig is from IG. SOUNDBITE) (English) IG, MARKET ANALYST, ALASTAIR MCCAIG, SAYING: "I think a change to business mentality, a change to their competitiveness on a global scale, should have been something they should have been targeting over the last number of years and arguably with union strength being as strong as ever in France, it has cost them and will continue to cost them in the years to come." Even the tourists see room for improvement. (SOUNDBITE) (English) 24-YEAR-OLD CANADIAN TOURIST FROM ALBERTA, MICHELLE NOH, SAYING: "There is a lot of garbage around and so maybe that's an improvement that Paris can make, just clean the streets a bit more." (SOUNDBITE) (English) BRASILIAN TOURIST FROM RIO, MARIA CECILIA FIGUEIREDO, 33, SAYING: "I miss here internet access. Wifi is a problem." France has competition too. It may be attracting more tourists from the east. But China, India and Latin America are also increasing becoming holiday destinations too.
Press CTRL+C (Windows), CMD+C (Mac), or long-press the URL below on your mobile device to copy the code
Why France wants even more tourists?
Thursday, October 08, 2015 - 01:34
Top News »
1:59am EST - (0:59)
1:57am EST - (1:28)
Sun, Feb 17, 2019 - (1:17)
Sun, Feb 17, 2019 - (2:11)
Sun, Feb 17, 2019 - (0:54)
Sun, Feb 17, 2019 - (1:22)
Sun, Feb 17, 2019 - (1:35)
Sun, Feb 17, 2019 - (2:04)
Sun, Feb 17, 2019 - (2:04)
Sun, Feb 17, 2019 - (1:27)
Sat, Feb 16, 2019 - (0:45)
Sat, Feb 16, 2019 - (1:32)
Migrant Crisis »
Thu, Nov 15, 2018 - (2:23)
Thu, Nov 15, 2018 - (1:26)
Fri, Mar 16, 2018 - (0:50)
Fri, Dec 22, 2017 - (1:52)
Fri, Dec 22, 2017 - (1:07)
Fri, Dec 22, 2017 - (1:37)
Editors' Picks »
2:35am EST - (1:52)
Fri, Feb 15, 2019 - (1:55)
Thu, Feb 14, 2019 - (2:50)
Thu, Feb 14, 2019 - (2:00)
Thu, Feb 14, 2019 - (1:24)
Thu, Feb 14, 2019 - (1:58)
Thu, Feb 14, 2019 - (1:15)
Wed, Feb 13, 2019 - (1:40)
Wed, Feb 13, 2019 - (1:40)
Tue, Feb 12, 2019 - (1:48)
Politics »
Sun, Feb 17, 2019 - (1:22)
Fri, Feb 15, 2019 - (1:03)
Fri, Feb 15, 2019 - (1:45)
Fri, Feb 15, 2019 - (1:59)
Fri, Feb 15, 2019 - (0:59)
Thu, Feb 14, 2019 - (1:43)
Thu, Feb 14, 2019 - (1:15)
Thu, Feb 14, 2019 - (0:59)
Thu, Feb 14, 2019 - (1:27)
Innovations »
7:55am EST - (1:34)
Fri, Feb 15, 2019 - (1:20)
Fri, Feb 15, 2019 - (1:13)
Thu, Feb 14, 2019 - (1:23)
Thu, Feb 14, 2019 - (1:21)
Thu, Feb 14, 2019 - (1:57)
Thu, Feb 14, 2019 - (1:26)
Mon, Feb 11, 2019 - (1:32)
Fri, Feb 08, 2019 - (2:05)
Thu, Feb 07, 2019 - (1:38)
Entertainment »
1:58am EST - (1:50)
Sun, Feb 17, 2019 - (1:49)
Sun, Feb 17, 2019 - (2:23)
Sun, Feb 17, 2019 - (2:08)
Sun, Feb 17, 2019 - (2:09)
Sun, Feb 17, 2019 - (1:05)
Sun, Feb 17, 2019 - (1:02)
Sun, Feb 17, 2019 - (1:45)
Sat, Feb 16, 2019 - (0:45)
Sat, Feb 16, 2019 - (0:56)
Sat, Feb 16, 2019 - (1:12)
Fri, Feb 15, 2019 - (1:24)
Rough Cuts »
Sun, Feb 17, 2019 - (2:23)
Sun, Feb 17, 2019 - (0:54)
Sun, Feb 17, 2019 - (1:22)
Sun, Feb 17, 2019 - (1:05)
Sun, Feb 17, 2019 - (1:02)
Sun, Feb 17, 2019 - (1:45)
Sat, Feb 16, 2019 - (1:32)
Sat, Feb 16, 2019 - (0:46)
Sat, Feb 16, 2019 - (0:56)
Fri, Feb 15, 2019 - (1:24)
Fri, Feb 15, 2019 - (1:03)
Fri, Feb 15, 2019 - (1:45)
Moving Pictures »
Fri, Feb 01, 2019 - (2:27)
Wed, Jan 02, 2019 - (2:29)
Mon, Dec 17, 2018 - (2:17)
Fri, Nov 30, 2018 - (2:45)
Thu, Nov 22, 2018 - (2:41)
Mon, Oct 01, 2018 - (2:30)
Fri, Aug 31, 2018 - (2:23)
Tue, Jul 31, 2018 - (1:44)
Fri, Jun 29, 2018 - (2:05)
Fri, Jun 01, 2018 - (2:38)
Reuters Investigates »
Wed, Oct 11, 2017 - (10:18)
Wed, Aug 23, 2017 - (6:44)
Thu, Mar 16, 2017 - (2:26)
Tue, Nov 01, 2016 - (2:15)
Thu, Sep 29, 2016 - (2:19)
Fri, Aug 05, 2016 - (2:04)
Mon, Mar 28, 2016 - (3:02)
Thu, Mar 10, 2016 - (2:34)
Mon, Dec 07, 2015 - (2:58)
Mon, Dec 07, 2015 - (2:20)
Mon, Dec 07, 2015 - (0:35)
Mon, Dec 07, 2015 - (3:53)
Dateline Asia »
Fri, Feb 15, 2019 - (1:05)