Tourism business

2.3 Tourism strategy in France

On November 12, 2014 there was hold a Meeting of the Tourism Promotion Council devoted to French destinations in Paris. Diplomats and heads of tourism in France have set a list of goals and aims for their country. Firstly, French President decided to make tourism a French priority. The goal is to strengthen France’s position as the leading global tourist destination and, as called for by the President, “produce the leading tourism revenue out of all European countries." This goal needs new mobilization from our country. Tourism is an area that rallies our Regions, Departments and Municipalities. It is a real opportunity for all territories. Tourists spend locally and their presence increases consumption in shops and footfall in cultural establishments. Moreover, investments made to develop public transport and infrastructure primarily benefit our fellow citizens [28] .

Moreover, Minister of foreign affairs in France set out priorities of developing tourism industry: “First priority: the offer. It must be of good quality and diversified. We’ve decided to put together five areas of excellence. The future investment programme will fund them to the tune of €15 million. The first brings together gastronomy and wine tourism; the second, sport and mountains; the third, ecotourism; the fourth concerns all expertise (arts and crafts, luxury goods, etc.); and the fifth, urban tourism. Also we have drawn up a tourism safety plan, which provides for a 20% increase in the number of police at the main tourist sites in Paris, with special brigades in some regions.”

Besides of these changes Minister has told about France attractiveness in the future: “We want to raise France’s profile through some 20 brands: Provence, Brittany, the Alps, Bordeaux, and Chambord etc. Those are evocative names with an international sparkle. We must also modernize the offer, because tourists are increasingly looking for experiences. I’m thinking of areas like luxury goods, luxury crafts, gastronomy, wine tourism, the mountains and their pure air – sought after by the Chinese or people from the Gulf –, “slow tourism”, which encompasses eco-tourism, river cruises and, finally, trendy nightlife.”

The tourism sector is going to develop considerably. The figures are striking: 25 million tourists in the 1950s, a billion today, two billion expected in 2030. So the ambition is simple and strong: to remain the world’s leading country for tourism. The 2020 working group will be able to set itself quantifiable targets. If France welcomes 5% of the additional billion tourists (expected) by 2030, it can virtually double the surplus tourism brings to our external trade balance – currently €12 billion – and considerably reduce our deficit, while also creating hundreds of thousands of jobs that can’t be relocated [29] .

Results

All in all, I can easily say that France is the must-visit country, not only because of its statistics in UNWTO, but because of the beauties of the architecture, because of its cuisine, because of the people and their culture. France is one of the world's leading tourist destinations. If you have all the time in the world, you may not need to plan your holiday in France, you can just wander along at your own leisurely pace, and it will be a wonderful and varied experience. Whether you plan to drive or fly to France, you may find it useful and interesting. Of course main attraction for tourists is Paris. Staying in Paris for a couple of nights is a great way to discover France for the first time. Paris is a city that people easily fall in love with, and with city-centre to city-centre transport from Brussels or London. Paris is just a short train ride away, and a real break; it has masses of opportunities for cultural tourism, with some of the world's finest museums and monuments; it is one of the world's great shopping cities, and also arguably the finest city in Europe, a place where you can easily spend days just walking around, savoring the atmosphere, enjoying the life. The rest of France in summer or winter is a wealth of experiences to choose from. The largest country in Western Europe, France is also the most varied in terms of scenery and climate. From Brittany to Provence, the Auvergne, the Loire Valley, the Dordogne or the Alps, Burgundy to the Languedoc, Poitou-Charentes or Aquitaine and the Pyrenees, each region is special; each is a holiday in itself. It is also a country with over 2000 miles of beaches and seashores, plenty of space for even the most demanding of holidaymakers. So in order to not regret about your life travelling, go and explore this beautiful country!