Tourism in France
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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France attracted 81.9 million foreign tourists in 2007 (surpassing its population), a 3.8% increase compared to 2006, making it the most popular tourist destination in the world. This 81.9 million figure excludes people staying less than 24 hours in France, such as northern Europeans crossing France on their way to Morocco, Spain or Italy in summer.
France offers mountain ranges, coastlines such as in Brittany or along the Mediterranean Sea, cities with a rich cultural heritage, châteaux (castles) like Versailles, and vineyards. Tourism is accountable for 6% of the country's income (4% from French tourists travelling inside France and 2% from foreign tourists), and contributes significantly to the balance of payments.
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Paris
Paris, the capital city, is the most visited city in the world. Paris attracts tourists with museums such as the Louvre and Musée d'Orsay, and attractions like the Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe, the cathedral of Notre-Dame, and Disneyland Paris.
Other parts of France
In the eastern parts of France there are skiing resorts in the Alps. Notable French cities are Avignon with the Popes' palace, Arles, Aix-en-Provence, Bordeaux, Lyon, Marseille, Nice, Saint-Benoît-du-Sault on the Loire River, Toulouse on the Garonne, Strasbourg on the border with Germany, and the beautiful city of Nantes.
All over France rental accommodations and hotels are available. For example, the English like to spend their summers in the Dordogne valley, the Spanish vacation in Biarritz and St Jean de Luz on the Basque coast, and the Irish often visit Lourdes. Tourists also travel to see the annual cycle race, the Tour de France.
France's Mediterranean beaches on the French Riviera, in Languedoc-Roussillon, or in Corsica, are famous. Away from the mainland tourists are French Polynesia (especially Tahiti), the Caribbean islands Martinique, Guadeloupe and others.
Most popular tourist attractions
The most popular tourist sites include (visitors per year):
- Notre-Dame de Paris (13.6 million)
- Basilique du Sacré-Coeur (10.5 million)
- Louvre Museum (8.5 million)
- Eiffel Tower (6.2 million)
- Palace of Versailles (6 million)
- Centre Pompidou (3.6 million)
- Musée d'Orsay (2.9 million)
- Musée du quai Branly (1.3 million)
- Arc de Triomphe (1.2 million)
- Mont Saint-Michel (1 million)
- Notre-Dame de la Garde (800,000)
- Château de Chambord (711,000)
- Sainte-Chapelle (683,000)
- Metz Cathedral (652,000)
- Bastille of Grenoble (600 000)
- Centre Pompidou-Metz (550,000)
- Château du Haut-Kœnigsbourg (549,000)
- Puy de Dôme (500,000)
- Musée Picasso (441,000)
- Carcassonne (362,000)
See also
