B.Mouhammed
You might be wondering in which way could American tourists be saving France’s summer…Let us explain to you exactly how France’s summer is being saved by American tourists.
Paris has always been one of the most popular destinations for tourists from all over the world for several reasons, starting with the delicious food to the gigantic touristical monuments to the outstanding and amazing arthouses and cinemas and the list goes on and on. With no doubt Paris is on everyone’s bucket list Especially Americans apparently, according to the city’s government north america is the biggest contributor to the Parisian tourism market this summer with booking levels almost back to the pre-pandemic 2019 and 2018 levels.
US tourist James Newman is enjoying his first visit to France, taking selfies with his wife by the art museum’s glass pyramid, right there is one of tens of thousands of american tourists who chose Paris to be their destination this summer.
“Paris definitely lived up to its reputation,” says James, from California. “Food’s been great. Everyone’s been very hospitable.”
Traveling to Paris is actually a symbolic example of getting back to normal life after two years of restrictions and disruptions caused by the pandemic of Covid and so many other political events such as the Ukrainian-Russian conflict. “I feel like things are back on track,” James adds.
Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat Mayor Jean-François Dieterich says Russian tourists have been replaced by others, that’s because for the past several years the number one contributor to the Parisian tourism was actually Russia with almost 19.3% of the whole tourism earnings for the year 2017.
“The Americans are doing the job,” said Frédéric Hocquard, Paris deputy mayor for tourism.
He has also stated : “Meaning that they are coming back en masse and with a lot of money to spend.” and by that he meant to say that Russian tourists have been replaced by others.
“They are spending without counting after two years of restrictions,” Was the first page headline on one of the biggest and most influential magazines that’s called Nice Matin and they’re not the only ones saying this, every inch of the country are chanting the same enthusiastic message — the Americans are back!
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In 2019, 90 million international tourists visited France to discover our rich natural and architectural heritage and to enjoy our world-renowned hospitality and way of life. In France, tourism accounts for 8% of GDP.
Tourism plays a major role in the French economy. The accommodation and food services sector, representing the largest part of the tourism sector, accounts for between 2.5% and 3% of GDP while the knock-on effects of tourism are also felt in other sectors, such as transport and leisure.
Any traveler visiting a foreign country is bound to do a few things that bother the locals. However, there’s no rivalry quite like that between American tourists and the French, especially in Paris. Many French people see Americans as rude, loud, and disrespectful but they have many reasons to feel that way.
Million Americans arrived in France in 2019, a 6.3 percent increase on the previous year. In total in 2019, France welcomed 90 million international visitors – 79 percent of whom were Europeans – making it a record year for visitors, despite fears that ‘yellow vest’ protests would lead to tourists staying away.
Paris Travel Tip #1 Parisians Are Nice People
With all of the rumors you hear about rude people in Paris, you will be shocked at how friendly the people in Paris are. They are mostly super helpful, and very friendly. Don’t let a stereotype inform how you interact with Parisians and you just might be surprised.
If you had simply asked, “What do the French think about Americans?” I could have answered with the usual of clichés and stereotypes:
they’re fat.
they have no culture.
they’re uneducated.
they’re warmongers.
they eat terrible food.
they don’t know anything about the rest of the world.
they’re obnoxiously loud.
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