Tuesday, August 23, 2016

Foreign tourists still shunning France – ladepeche.fr

The number of foreign tourists in France fell by 7% since the beginning of January according to the government, because of the attacks but also the weather, calendar effects and strikes, Paris and the French Riviera being strongly whip this disaffection.

“the arrivals (foreign tourists) since the beginning of the year are finally down 7% on the whole territory, but the region results are broadly stable compared last year, although qu’impactées by the attack of Nice “, said Minister of Foreign Affairs and Tourism, Jean-Marc Ayrault, while traveling Tuesday in the Loire Valley.

Mr Ayrault, “the attacks partly explain (these) disappointing trends” and “the security risk perception has had a clear influence on certain client, including the wealthiest, or those from Asia,” without forget the economic difficulties in Russia and Brazil.

If the entire hexagon is affected by this drop in attendance, the Ile-de-France and Paris is particularly hard hit.

The tourism sector in the Paris -France has lost a billion euros in sales since January, according to a report of the Regional tourism Committee (CRT), published on Tuesday.

“All indicators are in the red “, was alarmed Valletoux Frederick, president of the CRT at a press conference, asking the State the establishment of a” Orsec plan “.

Effect of avoidance of capital

“foreign tourists get around Paris, which recorded a 11.4% drop in overnight stays, against 4.4% in the other départements. There is an effect avoidance of the capital, “adds François Navarro, CEO of CRT.

Mr. Ayrault also pointed to “high prices” in the capital, while according to him, professionals Riviera adjusted their prices immediately after the bombing in Nice.

However, the CRT Ile ensures that establishments 5 star hotels in Paris lowered their prices to “25 to 45%.”

In detail, the number of Japanese visiting the island to France collapsed by 46.2% in the first half, as the Italians (-27.7%) and Russians (- 35%). Even the Americans and Chinese are now entered in a “disturbing cycle of decline” with -5.7% and -19.6% for the period.

Furthermore, according to the president of the Ile region de-France Valérie Pécresse, interviewed in Le Figaro on Tuesday “beyond the risk of terrorism, everyday safety is not sufficient.” It has denounced the “aggression of Chinese tourists this summer, in front of their hotel in Gonesse” who “shot looped over internet”, such as “Koreans robbed while they were lost” in Saint-Denis .

the French Riviera, following the Nice attack, has also been hit hard by falling attendance, a qualified decrease as “exceptional” by the Regional tourism Committee . The CRT Riviera has indeed Tuesday reported a 10% drop in attendance lodging and transportation, and sales down 20 to 25% for professionals. According to regional tourism stakeholders, the rise in the volume of new bookings, however, begins already to be felt, with fast recovery plan and communication campaigns.

Committee Meeting emergency in September

Mr. Ayrault, who had presented in March a plan with one million euros to promote France abroad after the attacks in 2015, announced that it would “mobilize additional 500,000 euros” in aid of this program led by Atout France, covering in particular the French Riviera.

the head of French diplomacy, which had already gathered early July the industry further said that he would convene “early September” a new committee tourism economic emergency, “devoted to the regions most affected” by this fall, before proposing any additional measures. He wants indeed to have “accurate statistics,” because the situation is “very mixed” and parts “are doing very well,” he said.

So, Jean-Marc Ayrault claimed that the Euro 2016 football resulted in load factors record for hotels in some host cities, their turnover has increased 70% in Lens, Lille and Saint-Etienne.

Similarly, some cultural events attracted more public (+ 6.5% for the Avignon festival and + 32% for the Francofolies de la Rochelle, like amusement parks (+ 2% after a year 2015 “record”) and campsites (+ 8%).

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