France has been a target for terrorists with the country suffering a number incidents since 2015.
The country’s capital city, Paris, united in the face of terrorism after an attack in November 2015 killed 130 people. And newly-released tourist numbers have revealed the rest of the world is uniting against the horror too.
Despite the rumours of tourists avoiding the city, it’s reported the capital has welcomed a record number of tourists in the first six months of 2017.
It is great news for France which relies on tourism, generating seven per cent of the country’s national income.
The number released by the Regional Tourism Authority (CRT) recorded 16.4 million arrivals from January to June.
This is the highest number of visitors within the first half of a year since 2008, which implies a strong recovery in spite of the recent attacks.
Taking into account the popular summer months of July and August, the city could welcome up to 34 million tourists this year, up by four million from last year.
Frederic Valletoux, president of the Paris region tourist board, stated in a news conference: “(This) could be a record year but let’s not get carried away.
“Will Barcelona have an impact on other destinations like Paris? It’s hard to say. It’s Europe.
“It took three years for New York to bounce back after the Sept 11 attacks, for Madrid it was a year and for Paris also a year.
“The international situation remains turbulent and terrorism a daily threat.”
The city of Paris initially struggled after the terrorist attacks last year.
Disneyland Paris, one of the most popular attractions, suffered record losses due to the attacks.
The group turnover plummeted 6.91 per cent last year, with Euro Disney president Catherine Powell commenting: ”Disneyland Paris had an exceptionally challenging year.
“We have been impacted by various external factors that have significantly affected the tourism business in the Paris region.”
The resort is celebrating it’s 25th anniversary this year.
http://www.express.co.uk/travel/articles/732043/Disneyland-Paris-record-losses-tourism-terror-attacks
