France hopes to receive 50 million foreign visitors this summer, mainly from Europe, while the international clientele from distant countries should remain largely absent, said the Secretary of State for Tourism Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne in an interview with Le Journal du Dimanche last Sunday.
Last year, France welcomed 35 million foreign visitors, and 90 million in 2019, recalled the Secretary of State for Tourism. “The summer is therefore hopeful,” said Lemoyne.
Germans, Dutch, Belgians, a European clientele of proximity is present. On the other hand, the British, like last summer, are coming less, because their government has set up a strict fourteen-day isolation period on their return
Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne
The international clientele, which is crucial particularly for Paris, may still be largely lacking. Lemoyne said that some Americans have been coming back since June, but that Asian tourists won’t be seen again until 2022. Paris is suffering from a lack of business tourism.
He encouraged French people to also choose to spend their vacations in France. He noted that in 2020, 94% of the French people who went on vacation, chose France. This year, they are already 80%. And with the arrival of the fourth wave in different parts of the world, many may choose to travel locally.
There’ll be as many business events are planned for September-December 2021 than in 2019. With a downside because the professionals of the event foresee a decrease of 50% of the surfaces of rented stands
Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne
Lemoyne estimates that the number will be 85% this year. French expatriates wishing to return to France will be able to submit their application for a health pass “as of this week”, he said.
It will be enough to send a proof of vaccination (for vaccines approved by the European Union or their equivalents), along with an identity document and proof of residence abroad to receive a QR code. The secretary of state cautioned, however, that the release of the health pass would not necessarily mean a generalized lifting of health restrictions.
“The health pass is the first tool to fight against the epidemic. Its principle is precisely to avoid the traditional braking measures. The virus is constantly chanaging and we will continue to have a territorial management of the response,” he said.
