France, which had committed itself a few years ago to hitting 100 million visitors by 2020 has now reset the goal date for that number to 2022, citing visitor resistance after a long season of Yellow Vest protests and Brexit effects on British travel.
The original goal was set in 2014 under the previous national administration. Despite the crimp, France still remains the world’s most visited destination, with 89.4 million visitors last year, and can expect some big-time boosts when the 2024 Paris Olympics rolls around.
The Yellow Vest protests that began last November have mostly faded into memory with occasional flare-ups, but the images for weeks of violent protests and burning cars gave many travelers pause, and the drop in value of the British pound lowered business from France’s greatest source of visitors.
Photo: Stravinsky Fountain, Paris (PHeymont/TravelGumbo)
