Disaster for tourism as US visitors shun Paris

The Daily Telegraph ^ | 01/08/2003 | Henry Samuel

[Thunder 6]

steady. Try to imagine the smell of the Seine River on a hot August day...

any better?

regards,

[.cnI redruM]

At least the tacky tourists won't defile Le Champs Elysee. HEEHEE!!

[Stentor]

low grade narcolepsy and a penchant for buggery

LOL. Gives new meaning to "asleep at the wheel".

[Angel]

"The Americans were like flies round honey in the 1980s when there were 10 francs to the dollar," he said. "Give me two euros to the dollar and they'll be back, bin Laden or no bin Laden."

Funny, the dollar is worth the same in all the other countries that use the Euro and I haven't heard that their tourism is down. How do they explain that?

[Stentor]

Try to imagine the smell of the Seine River on a hot August day...

In August there's nothing like that cementitious coating of sweat and chalk dust.

[RJayneJ]

As I read through the article, I was amazed that they don't have a clue as to who to blame for American's anger. For a movement like this that is totally voluntary and unorganized and not involving the government, it is quite an accomplishment to cut the tourism down by half. You're right, they don't have a clue. What we need is French speaking Americans writing letters to the editor to fill them in on why Americans are so angry.

[CFC__VRWC]

[cajungirl]

Well, that does help. And I do wonder if some of the fall off is not just plain old fear of flying what with warnings and such as well as the bad stock market, etc. I hope Bush just to needle them gives a new terrorism alert, like terrorists are going to attack americans in paris as well as american planes going to and from france, and gives this alert weekly till they come begging him not to. It would be wrong to do that, but rather enjoyable.

[CarmelValleyite]

Last Sunday's Los Angeles Times' Travel section had a huge article about the south of France, complete with color photos, etc. Ivana Trump was quoted as saying the wealthy from around the world are still coming to the Med. coast for their annual dose of sun, food, relaxation and seeing their friends.

Unfortunately for the French, MOST of their tourism income did not come from the wealthy minority who don't give a hoot what's happening in the world.

I'm heading for Hawaii soon, myself. Looking forward to pineapples and poi as substitutes for escargot.

[Pharmboy]

Remarkable: our early years were almost identical...except for the luge lessons. I studied synchronized swimming.

[chuknospam]

..."the strength of anti-French sentiment across the Atlantic had been underestimated."

I guess you can hear us now?!

[Jimmy Valentine]

"I'm raising my own Escargot!"

Proceeding at a snail's pace I suppose?

sorry

[Jimmy Valentine]

"The bateaux mouches navigating the putrid Seine are all but empty"

This is interersting to me. "Bateaux Mouches" translates as "Fly Boats". Pourqui? Is this Parisian slang, like calling meter maids "Aubergines" (eggplants)? Tourists as flies?

Inquiring minds want to know.

Regards,

[wtc911]

Exactly what we did....took France off the itinerary and replaced it with Spain.

[DeFault User]

Is this Parisian slang?

Far as I know they've always been called that. The Seine used to be an open sewer. Maybe that's why the "flies" are there, but I'm not certain. The boats that take tourists up and down the Thames in London are similar, fairly large sight-seeing platforms.

[sweetliberty]

""Thanks very much, Tony Blair and friends," said the bus conductor."

Let me see if I have this right...it is the fault of Blair and Bush that Americans aren't going to France??? Apparently they've never heard of consequences for their own actions.

[sweetliberty]

"The Americans were like flies round honey in the 1980s when there were 10 francs to the dollar," he said. "Give me two euros to the dollar and they'll be back, bin Laden or no bin Laden."

If that were true, they wouldn't be going to Britain, Italy and Spain now would they? Moron.

[sweetliberty]

"Its president, Andre Daguin blamed Iraq, Sars, oil-sullied beaches from the tanker Prestige, strikes which led to the cancellation of many summer festivals and the recent forest fires."

In other words, everything but themselves.

[keats5]

We enjoyed the most wonderful vacation this year. We shunned the hassel of cross atlantic air travel, filled our Suburban with all our kids, and headed west. We camped in the Black Hills, saw a rodeo in Cody, checked out the Jackson Hole Lodge, and rafted down the beautiful Yellowstone. We camped in Theodore Rosevelt national park in Medora, N.D., where we enjoyed a cowboy fondue before watching the famous Medora musical. We ended the trip at the Chila Vista resort in the Wisconson Dells, far too tacky for the French, but the kids loved the water slides, and riding the Wisconson Ducks to see the Dells.

And everyone we met was remarkably friendy.

[biblewonk]

The more they say it hurts, the more it turns me on.