Tourism. France, the most visited country in the world – The Telegram

Tourism. France, the most visited country in the world – The Telegram

Last year, they were 84.7 million foreign tourists to visit France, with Paris as a must stop .. Photo AFP

Kakariko! France is the most visited country in the world with 84.7 million foreign tourists chose this destination in 2013, ahead of the United States and Spain. Chinese confirm their appeal to the Land of Lights …

It gladdens the heart … Foreign tourists were confirmed in 2013, their attraction to France, they were 84.7 million to visit, again placing the hexagon head of the most popular in the world, ahead of the United States and Spain countries. Nearby forces, Europeans were more likely to choose France tourists, details the study published yesterday by the DGCIS (Directorate General in charge of competitiveness issues in Bercy) and the Bank of France. Starting with the neighbors across the Rhine, which were 13 million to visit the country (6.5%), followed by the British (12.6 million, 3.4%). And if the Belgian tourists, Luxembourg, Italy and Spain were fewer than 2012, the Irish, Portuguese and Greeks confirm their return: “The influx of tourists from these countries than it was before -crisis, “said the study. The attractiveness of France is also supported in Poland (+18%) and in the countries of northern Europe (13.5% for Finland, Denmark and Sweden).

1.7 million Chinese

The first non-European customer base is France in North America . A reinforced last year, with an increase of 5.8% in tourist arrivals, following a decline of 7.8% in 2012 among Asian tourists position, the Chinese are the most attracted by France. They are 1.7 million to be made, or 23.4% more. “Their attraction to France proved for many years: the Chinese tourist arrivals doubled between 2009 and 2013,” the study notes. In contrast, Japanese customers were down 6.7% amid weaker yen against the euro.

Longer stays

If foreign tourists are more likely to have visited France in 2013, they also spent more time, 7.1 nights on average, against 6.9 in 2012 (+2.5%). Europeans have made the shorter stays, with an average of 6.6 nights in 2013 These are tourists from Portugal, Ireland and Greece, which remained the longest: 10.6 nights on average . They are followed by Russian clients with an average of 8.9 nights. But this lengthening is not always in favor of hotels and other accommodation fee, which accounted for 67.1% in 2013 of all nights. Tourists crisis forces, were seeking to reduce their spending, being hosted by family or friends, or by trading apartments.