I was very excited to hear that Paris, France has once again been named the world’s top tourist destination (based on hotel occupancies). Even despite the rough economic conditions on a global scale, last year was a great year for tourism in Paris and the surrounding areas, with foreign visitation being at “the highest level in 10 years”.
Nearly 15.5 million visitors foreign to the country embarked on the French capital to represent an 8.2% increase from the year 2012. The majority of visitors (2.1 million of them) ventured over the Channel from Britain, followed by those from America, Germany, Italy, and China.
Aside from 2013 also seeing a nearly 21% increase in visitors from the Middle East, it also marked the first time that China topped the list of tourists from Asia, with 881,000 venturing to Paris, surpassing Japan.
Ironically enough, France also saw a drop in enthusiasm from it’s natives in 2013. The number of French tourists visiting their world famous capital and their occupancy is Parisian hotels dropped by 7.5% from 2012. That said, some 32.3 million tourists have spoken: France’s city of light and romance can’t be beat!
Call us for your own magical journey to the City of Light on our fabulous Paris & Normandy cruise! This is on my personal bucket list, as traveling to Paris has always been a dream of mine! And this cruise that includes all the wonders of Paris AND the great history surrounding it… how perfect! On this cruise you’ll visit the village of Giverny, where Monet lived and worked for 43 years, stroll the famous Normandy beaches of WWII, of course take in the sights of remarkable Paris and the famed Eiffel Tower, and so much more! It’s 11 days of pure bliss. Call (800)578-1479, and just Imagine the Journey…
