DÉCRYPTAGE : quels sont les effets du tourisme de masse ?

Summary

France welcomed nearly 90 million foreign tourists in 2018, making it the world's most visited country. Tourism significantly contributes to the French economy, generating over 2 million jobs and accounting for more than 7% of the GDP. Despite challenges like overburdened transportation and environmental impact, the government has established an inter-ministerial tourism council to address the sector's development. Measures such as entry fees in Venice and hotel construction bans in Barcelona and Amsterdam aim to mitigate mass tourism's negative effects, while Paris has increased Airbnb regulation. The industry's environmental footprint is also a concern, with tourism responsible for 5% of global greenhouse gas emissions.

Takeaways

• 🌍 France welcomed nearly 90 million foreign tourists in 2018, making it the most visited country in the world.
• 🏆 It ranks ahead of Spain, the United States, China, and Italy in terms of tourist arrivals.
• 💼 Tourism is a significant asset to the French economy, generating over two million jobs.
• 📈 It contributes more than 7% of the country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
• 📊 Tourist revenues increased by 9% in 2017, following a sharp decline after the 2015 terrorist attacks.
• 🏛️ The French government established an inter-ministerial tourism council and a SAIT (Tourism Development Committee) in July 2010 to present the government's action plan for tourism.
• 🚌 The rise in tourism brings new challenges such as transport overload, increased noise pollution, and site degradation.
• 🏙️ There is also the issue of rising living costs and gentrification in city centers, where affluent social groups take over spaces originally occupied by less privileged residents.
• 🎟️ Venice has introduced an entry fee ranging from 2.50 to 10 euros depending on the season, starting from September 1, 2019, to finance the cleaning of its historic center.
• 🚫 Barcelona and Amsterdam have banned the construction of new hotels in their city centers to mitigate the negative effects of mass tourism.
• 🏠 Paris has strengthened controls and penalties for abuses detected on Airbnb, which offers the largest accommodation portfolio in the capital cities worldwide.
• 🌳 Mass tourism has negative environmental impacts, with the tourism industry accounting for 5% of global greenhouse gas emissions, largely due to transportation.

Q & A

How many foreign tourists did France welcome in 2018?

France welcomed nearly 90 million foreign tourists in 2018.

What position does France hold in terms of being the most visited country in the world?

France is the most visited country in the world.

Which countries follow France in terms of foreign tourist arrivals?

Spain, the United States, China, and Italy follow France in terms of foreign tourist arrivals.

What is the significance of tourism to the French economy?

Tourism is a major asset for the French economy, generating over two million jobs and accounting for more than 7% of the GDP.

How did the tourism revenue in France change in 2017?

The tourism revenue in France increased by 9% in 2017.

What measures did the French government take to accelerate the development of the tourism sector?

The French government established an inter-ministerial council for tourism in July 2010 and a SAIT (Tourism Development Committee) which meets twice a year to present the government action plan for tourism.

What are some of the challenges associated with the increase in tourist flows?

Challenges include the overload of transportation means, increased noise pollution, degradation of sites, increased cost of living, and gentrification of city centers.

What measure did Venice decide to implement starting from September 1, 2019, to manage mass tourism?

Venice decided to charge an entry fee ranging from 2.50 to 10 euros depending on the season for its 30 million annual visitors, starting from September 1, 2019.

What steps have Barcelona and Amsterdam taken to control tourism growth in their city centers?

Barcelona and Amsterdam have banned the construction of new hotels in their city centers.

What actions has Paris taken to regulate the use of Airbnb?

Paris has strengthened controls and penalties for abuses detected on the Airbnb platform, which offers 60,000 rentals in Paris, the largest portfolio of any world capital.

What is the environmental impact of mass tourism as indicated by the script?

Mass tourism has a negative impact on the environment, with 5% of global greenhouse gas emissions produced by the tourism industry, notably through transportation.

What mode of transportation did half of the tourists use to cross borders in 2018 according to the script?

Half of the tourists used airplanes to cross borders in 2018.