Holiday Lettings news - France is still top tourist destination

France is still top tourist destination

France remains the most popular destination for the world's tourists, despite fierce competition from other destinations, the French Tourism Ministry has confirmed.

A total of 78 million people visited the country in 2006, a 2.7 per cent increase on 2005, while revenues from tourism rose 2.5 per cent from €34 billion in 2005.

The growth in tourists has been partly attributed to the increase in visitors from other European nations, including Spain, the Netherlands and Switzerland.

One of the most popular French regions for 2006 was Languedoc-Roussillon, which has been widely tipped as a hotspot for property appreciation.

Steadily increasing numbers of Chinese tourists also contributed to France retaining its title, with 600,000 visiting the country last year.

A recently released report from the UNWTO estimated that the number Chinese tourists visiting foreign destinations would be 100 million by 2020 in comparison to 31 million in 2005.

Tourism makes up approximately 6.5 per cent of France's GDP, with 846,000 people directly employed by the industry, an annual increase of 2.5 per cent compared with an average 1 per cent rise in jobs across all other sectors.
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