The annual survey of foreign visitors and international tourism in France, produced by the Direction Générale des Entreprises and the Bank of France, confirms that France was the world’s leading tourist destination in 2014. With 83.7 million visitors, there was a slight 0.1% increase of arrivals in comparison with 2013. “I am thrilled to announce that our Foreign Visitors are up +8.7%, while the European market has slightly decreased by -1.7%,” reported Laurent Fabius, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Development. “The Asian market has shown a spectacular increase of more than 16%, much attributed to the accelerated visa process [Visa in 48 hours] created for Chinese travelers. Implemented in 2014, this process led to a +61% increase of visas issued to the Chinese market in just one year.” Another positive note is that the total number of overnight stays increased by 2% in 2014. The length of an average stay in France continues to rise, which will increase consumer spending during their stay. In calculating the length of an average stay in France, the survey considers data relating to traditional, nontraditional (B&Bs and short-term apartment rentals are on the rise), and non-market-oriented accommodations (family, friends, second homes). The initial numbers published at the end of February 2014 by the National Institute for Statistics and Economic Studies, showed that the length of an average stay had decreased. However, this number reflected only the traditional accommodations, as non-traditional and non-market-oriented were not taken into consideration. This survey reflects the new trends on the rise in the tourism industry. The statistics from the beginning of 2015 are positive as well. The number of requests for tourism visas is increasing, in particular from India and China. For the former, requests have increased by 38% and for the latter by 65%. In the U.S. airplane tickets to France were up 5.3% from January to April, 2015. These positive results are in line with the actions proposed in 2014 by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Development. Last year on June 19th at the annual French tourism conference, Mr. Fabius announced the following guidelines:
• Simplification of tourism procedures : accelerated visa process for several foreign markets, and removal of mandatory accommodation reservation before visa request
• Improvement of on-site information and welcome centers for tourists arriving in France, a “welcome” text message for Chinese tourists, free Wi-Fi in all Parisian airports, implementation of a special taxi rate for international visitors, a reserved lane for taxi transportation on all highways between Paris and the airport, extended Sunday and evening hours for certain stores (depending on geographical location), and reinforced security for all tourist sites
• Improved visibility for our travel destinations, in order to highlight our diverse regions
• Simplification of all procedures in tourism and addition of new guidelines in April
“These actions will be developed in the coming months with the goal of reaching the expanding tourism market, and taking into consideration the international competition,” said Fabius. “The mission of the Council of Tourism Development, which I manage, is to highlight new ways of improving hospitality, investment in the hotel trade, new technology, and the overseas territories,” he concluded. “Proposals will be made to put forward French cruise offerings. Finally, we will concentrate on preparing for major sports and cultural events hosted in France, particularly the 2016 UEFA European Soccer Championship.”