France top for tourists

France confirmed its position as the world's top destination last year, with official figures showing 76.5 million tourists visited, a rise of 1.5 million over 2000.

Jacques Brunhes, the secretary of state for tourism who presented the figures to the Senate, warned however that some tourism sectors in France were, like other parts of the world, "in a phase of tapering off due notably to the consequences of the events of September 11".

The terrorist attacks on New York and Washington with hijacked passenger planes, the ongoing conflict in Afghanistan and a recession in the United States after nearly a decade of economic expansion have all taken their toll on the world tourism industry.

A recent report from French tourism officials that examined the after-effects of September 11 identified travel agencies as those struggling the most.

Business for tour operators has slumped 35 per cent since September 11, although some - those geared to clients from the United States and the Middle East - had a slide of up to 80 per cent, the report said.

Nevertheless, there were some bright areas. Tourist accommodation on the coast, in the country or in the mountains, and restaurants and cafes looked likely to do better overall last year than in 2000, helping 2001 turnover for the whole tourism sector to keep the decline to within 5 to 10 per cent, the report said.