France's tourism sector is asking for a special police force dedicated to fighting crime aimed at tourists, Reuters is reporting.
Safety fears are curbing tourism within the capital and reports indicate that tourism could fall 4 to 5 percent in 2016 due to attacks by Islamic terrorists groups. But another concern is the repeated robbery attempts of Asian tourists as well as the high-profile assault on Kim Kardashian West.
"The image of France has deeply deteriorated and it's likely that 2017 will still feel the impact. The recovery may therefore be long," said Alliance 46.2, a group that represents firms that rely on foreign visitors.
Were tourism to decline as predicted, France would face an economic crisis and face job losses.
"The decline in visitor figures, if confirmed, would be the steepest in 40 years and put up to 30,000 jobs at risk in the struggling French tourism sector," the Alliance 46.2 noted in a statement to Reuters.
"The tourism sector represents 7 to 8 percent of France's gross domestic product and employs about 2 million people," Reuters noted.
[READMORE]READ MORE: More Aid Coming for France's Struggling Tourism Sector [/READMORE]
The government is prepared to help, however.
"The French government last month pledged more aid to the sector, bringing to 10 million euros its contribution to a campaign to promote the country abroad," Reuters reports.
For more on France's ongoing tourism crisis, read on here.
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