FRANCE TOP TOURİST DESTİNATİON

PARİS / FRANCE- Following the French President’s recent statement that Tourism is a national priority, Prime Minister, Jean-Marc Ayrault threw down the gauntlet at a press conference in Paris yesterday to reaffirm France’s position as Number One tourist destination worldwide.

PRIME MINISTER, AYRAULT:  IT MUST DO BETTER STILL
Whilst France welcomes over 83 million tourists annually, with tourism contributing over 7% of GDP and some 12 billion Euros towards the balance of payments, “it must do better still”, states the PM, and “aim to be the top European destination in terms of incoming tourism revenue”.

MINISTER SYLVIA PINEL: TOURISM PRODUCTS TO SPECIFIC CLIENTELES
Jean-Marc Ayrault has placed Tourism Minister Sylvia Pinel at the head of an action plan to mobilize investment in the tourism sector, placing the emphasis on diversification, increased competitiveness, training and the adaptation of tourism products to specific clienteles.

KARIM MEKACHERA: TRAINING TO TRAVEL AGENTS
In the Middle East, Karim Mekachera, Regional Manager of Atout France, the French tourism ministry’s office for the promotion of destination France to the Middle East and Turkey markets, confirms that “Our strategy is to work hand in hand with the local travel trade. We must support the trade in offering new French destinations and products and offer training to travel agents to facilitate selling destination France”.