France continues to lead the way in world tourism with some 82 million visitors arriving in the country in 2007, new figures have revealed.
According to Reuters, statistics released by the country's tourism ministry showed visitor numbers for 2007 increased by 4 per cent on figures for 2006, meaning that France remains ahead of Spain, its closest rival in the world travel industry.
Out of the 82 million people that travelled to France, 68 million were visiting the country as their main and final destination, while the remaining 14 million were passing through.
Just under half (46 per cent) of France’s visitor market were made up of Europeans, with Britain, Germany and Belgium cited as particularly important sources for tourism. Growth in arrivals was also recorded in tourism from Italy, Switzerland, Spain and Portugal .
The number of visitors from the US also rose last year, despite travellers suffering from a slight slowdown in the market in the final quarter as the dollar slumped in value against the euro .
The tourism statistics also showed that American travellers stayed the longest on their French trips, with an average of eight nights, while Europeans spent just under six nights and the Japanese stayed for an average of five nights.
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