Tourism ugly from lack of Americans

Universal Press Syndicate | 6-14-2003 | Tad Bartimus

[lilylangtree]

CANAL DU MIDI, France--It's high summer in France: bikinis blossom on the beach at St. Tropez and lovers stroll in lingering twilight beneath the Eiffel Tower.

The only things missing from these postcard-perfect scenes are Americans.

Still fuming over French President Jacques Chirac's active opposition to the war in Iraq, Americans are taking out their ire by staying home or vacationing elsewhere.

"I doubt I'll ever set foot in France again," a hawkish friend from Kansas e-mailed me.

Other friends who are veterans echoed the same sentiment.

"France?" You couldn't pay me to go there!" snorted one.

Well, somebody did pay me to go to France, and so here I am, conducting a writing workshop arranged by Americans, for Americans, on a canal barge owned by a woman raised in America. As we cruise between Bordeaux and Provence we practically have the canal to ourselves. Barge trip bookings are off as much as 70 percent and fancy restaurants catering to American tourists are empty. The question on every merchant's lips is no longer "Where are they?" but "Will they ever come back?"

At least one of them did, when the No. 1 Yak recently dropped in for a short visit. President George W. Bush was in Evian for the G-8 summit of industrialized nations, but he landed and slept over the border in Switzerland. His refusal to meet one-on-one with Chirac and their frosty photo op did nothing to diffuse Americans' anger at France for refusing to join U.S., British and other coalition forces in toppling Saddam Hussein.

The fallout from this diplomatic quarrel with our oldest ally is causing economic pain in the country now disdainfully dismissed as part of "Old Europe" by Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld.

Economic protest by their best-spending tourists is hurting the pocketbooks of bakers in Normandy, designers in Paris and three-star chefs in Provence.

"All our eggs are in the American basket and now Bush and Chirac have made an omelet out of them," said a French canal pilot.

While I sipped a smooth Bordeaux and ate aged camembert on a fresh baguette, a half-dozen crew members of various European nationalities lamented their lack of work.

"Our bookings are down 70 percent this season," said one barge owner, a British citizen. A marketing expert who works for a Burgundy vintner estimates her company's overseas sales are off by at least 15 percent, and will drop further "because people in America aren't buying French wine." Compounding their tourism woes is the fall of the dollar against the European Union currency.

However, there are bargains gallore in France as hoteliers and tour brokers try to salvage expenses.

Even the government--increasingly feeling the ire of its citizens for Chirac's arrogance and insults toward the Bush administration--is officially encouraging the unthinkable toward visitors. It's urging the French to say "BONJOUR!" with a smile.

[Guillermo]

They want Americans back so they can have someone to thumb their noses at.

They would never dare do that to their Islamic neighbors and visitors, that would be "intolerant."

[LisaAnne]

Have you seen the new Woody Allen commerical, paid for by the French government; encouraging tourism in France by Americans? *L* That's just one more reason I will never set foot in that country.

[Faraday]

This isn't a snit. The fact is that the French, German, and Belgian leadership (with support of overwhelming majorities of their respective peoples) sided with tyranny against freedom, sided with terror against peace. We have seen this before out of Europe and we know where it leads.

[nmh]

It doesn't pay to bite the hand that feeds you.

[nmh]

It's no wonder they chose Wood Allen to be their perverted poster boy for tourism. He split with his wife and then married their adopted daughter. The asian daighter is about half his age. Is that sick or what?

[LibKill]

They don't miss us Americans, they miss American $$$$.

I laugh at their pain!

[A Vast RightWing Conspirator]

The couple of Frenchies that I know don't feel at all punished. They feel vindicated.

Where are zee weah'pons of mass deestruck'sheeon????? they keep asking me.

Your presidant eez a liar... they say.

La France waz right et l'Amerique waz not... they insist.

[Dan from Michigan]

Get rid of Chirac, and my boycott will be off(unless the next guy is a bigger jerk).

[TC Rider]

Hear that?

It's the worlds tiniest violin playing, "My Heart Pumps Piss for Chirac".

[DeFault User]

This is the article I have been waiting to read. Tourism is big bucks for the frogs and the American boycott will get our message across better than anything else. May the loss be in the billions (dollars not francs).

[7 x 77]

It doesn't pay to bite the hand that feeds you. It doesn't pay to bite the hand that feeds you, because the hand that feeds you will turn around and bite the hand that fed it, because it does pay?

[7 x 77]

Tourism is far and away France's biggest industry -- ouch!

[Tall_Texan]

Phuque the Phrench

[proust]

Keith Richards said it best: "Paris would be great except for the Parisians" He said he couldn't go out for a day without being insulted by a Parisian at least once.

[Paul Atreides]

Do you mean to tell me that those commercials, featuring Woody Allen talking about French-kissing his former live-in lover's adopted daughter, now his wife, are not doing the trick?

Go figure.

[Missouri]

Let them live off the tourist money from moslems... opps, there isn't any.

If the French don't wake up soon, it will be the muslims running that country. Then there won't be any tourist money.

BTW, our tourist dollars went to the Hill Country of Southern Indiana. Wonderful part of OUR country.

[nothingnew]

"Voulez-vous coucher avec moi, ce soir?"

FMCDH

[7 x 77]

"Voulez-vous coucher avec moi, ce soir?"

Soul sister, soul sister, soul sister . . .

[nothingnew]

Hey! I wasn't addressing you. I ain't your soul sister. It was for Ms. Lilylangtree!...BWAHAHAHAHA!!!

FMCDH

[breakem]

uh, Francs are over