A year after the November 13 terror attacks in Paris, tourism still remains in limbo, according to a report from South African news outlet Sputnik.
"Since the beginning of this year, French tourism industry, which accounts for almost 8 percent of country's GDP, have seen an 8 percent fall in the number of foreign arrivals with almost 40 percent less Japanese, 23 percent less Chinese and 10 percent less Germans," says Sputnik.
Tourism may be down, but many believe that the terror attacks don't shoulder all of the blame.
"You have to understand that 2016 was cursed with many negative events: floods, violent demonstrations, strikes in transportation. Plus the terrorist attacks in Paris and Nice. Hard to overcome... The situation in France has not settled a year after the terrible events that occurred in Paris," chairperson of hotel research firm MKG Group and Hospitality Factory Georges Panayotis told Sputnik.
France is committed to bringing tourism back as well.
"About 15 million euro will be spent specifically on boosting security in Paris and nearby areas. Safety in various culture facilities and 30 museums is going to be enhanced and more video surveillance will be installed in tourist hot-spots," reports Sputnik.
[READMORE]READ MORE: Paris to Launch 'Charm Offensive' to Boost Tourism [/READMORE]
French tourism authorities have been working hard on presenting the city as safe and have invested in efforts to woo visitors back.
"In early November, the Paris City Hall announced an ambitious 59-point plan for the following six years aimed at assuring that French capital would never lose the position of the most visited city in the world," Sputnik says.
For more on how Paris is planning to bring back tourism, read on here.
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