Preparing for the future of tourism in France

Preparing for the future of tourism in France

The government launched the Tourism Conference. One can only rejoice. Certainly, France is proud to be a world leader in this sector. But for how long? 

When hundreds of millions of Chinese, Indians, Brazilians, and many others, are beginning to see the world, especially Europe, how we prepare to welcome in the best conditions? 

The area deserves better than the scant attention it has received from the government for too long. He deserves better, especially, that the prejudice which identifies the tourism future of France to the inevitability of de-industrialization, suggesting that this activity is not really productive. 

It is high time to move beyond this simplistic view. Tourism, in addition to being an industry, turned many others. The only part of the tourism sector in the gross domestic product (GDP) is already at 7%. 

2 MILLION JOBS 

It is far superior to those of the energy and agriculture; and its induced effects, tourism reached almost 10% of GDP, with about 2 million jobs. 

This is the first post of our balance of payments, far ahead of agribusiness, automotive and aerospace. 

It is under the sign of productive recovery committed that should be part of a tourism policy and daring entertainment. How to enhance our offering to meet the quest for the good life that should be in our country - the most visited in the world - its promised land? 

France has unique strengths: unique diversity of its landscape, its climate, its natural and historical heritage, its rich culture, its gastronomy etc ... And yet, our country annually loses market share in Europe compared to Spain or Italy, but also in Germany. 

THIRD EUROPEAN ROW 

She is no longer in third place in terms of revenue. The most beautiful sites are not enough to keep the traveler who built his stay as an overall experience, and with an unprecedented professionalism, the net can compare and compose its offerings. 

In a world where reputations unmade virally, if art and the good life "in French" are not waiting for you, then the customer will leave with a souvenir and contrasted the image of destination- France could soon be underway. 

Upon arrival at the airport or railway station, our brand is engaged. Throughout their stay, it is the attention to passing visitors is appreciated. Is known as the site of travelers Where are you now elected the French "the most inhospitable people in the world," pointing the way our reluctance to communicate in English, while other sites rank our cities among the dirtiest of Europe? Beyond their exaggeration, we should not ignore these notices. 

Bad quality / price of some of our accommodation is so commonly criticized report. Similarly, are often mentioned the different levels of our transportation infrastructure -it the case in Paris that do not yet have a direct connection between its airports and Paris, the most visited city in the world - but as the opening hours of our stores, especially in large cities. 

STRENGTHENING THE QUALIFICATIONS OF OUR BUSINESSES 

Cumbersome and complex procedures (planning, visas ...) have their share of responsibility. Not to mention the reputation of our country among investors, we need to fund our projects. 

A comprehensive proactive policy is needed. 

Investment in human capital must be at the heart of this approach. It is crucial to meet the host customer requirements and develop creativity and innovation, especially if we want to defend France for a view of tourism development with high quality content. 

So we need to strengthen the skills of our businesses - including language - better professional and secure our jobs, despite seasonality. It is a sustainable profitability that we want to promote and certainly not a destructive high productivity of natural and social balances. 

FEDERATING LOCAL ECONOMIC FABRIC 

Our success will depend greatly on our ability to bring players a profession relatively fragmented in order to defend beyond the pre-squares mark France. This requires a more structured industry is lacking in some areas, operators of critical mass. 

So, do we want to leave the promotion of our sites only to global giants of marketing on the net? The development of tourism is not only a matter for professionals. Also, we need to implement initiatives that bring together the local economy, to the benefit of the territories and their inhabitants. 

That's what we did, for example, the CDA by creating, in April, with the Caisse des Dépôts, three Rhône-Alpes regional banks and local governments, a real estate company to renovate hundreds of homes aging in our mountains. 

To meet these challenges, we can not expect everything from the government. However, the State and local authorities have a key role to play in creating an enabling framework for tourism development. 

A CHANCE FOR FRANCE 

This is for the state to go beyond a purely sectoral approach, and take full account of the component "tourism" in the definition and implementation of its shares, raising as much as he possible legislative and regulatory obstacles to its development. 

One would expect the state to promote developmental projects at the national level, as he has done in the past, with the snow plan or coastal development, for example. It is also necessary to generate and better support local initiatives that are becoming increasingly difficult to achieve due to cumbersome procedures and, it must be said, the reluctance and indecision public actors. 

Tourism is a chance for France. Let us make a growth conjuring our weaknesses and valuing our great assets.