Tourism in France

Calanques de Marseille, France

France attracted 79.1 million foreign tourists in 2006 (surpassing its population), a 4.2% increase compared to 2005, making it the most popular tourist destination in the world.^[1] This 79.1 million figure excludes people staying less than 24 hours in France, such as northern Europeans crossing France on their way to Spain or Italy during the Summer.

France is one of the classics among tourist countries. It offers mountain ranges, coastlines like in Brittany or along the Mediterranean Sea, cities with a rich cultural heritage, châteaux (castles) like Versailles, countryside, vineyards in Burgundy, 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.

Paris

Paris, the capital city of France attracts tourists with museums such as the Louvre and Musée d'Orsay, the Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe and cathedral of Notre-Dame and dozens of other attractions, for example, Disneyland Paris.

Eastern France

In the eastern parts of France there are skiing resorts in the Alps. Other notable cities are Avignon with the Popes' palace, Arles, Aix-en-Provence, Marseille, Nice, Orléans, Saint-Benoît-du-Sault on the Loire River, Toulouse on the Garonne, Strasbourg on the border with Germany, Nantes and Lyon.

France's tourist industry, however, is not limited to the towns and cities, Paris and the Alpine ski resorts. 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.

South beaches : French Riviera, Languedoc-Roussillon, or Corsica, are famous. The great touristic potential of Polynesia (especially Tahiti), Caribbean islands (Martinique, Guadeloupe...) are very attractive.

France offers a high-speed train service called TGV (train à grande vitesse) as well as regional services, both operated by the SNCF.

Minerve: The most beautiful village in France.	Lavender field and Mont Ventoux, France.

References

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