PARIS (AP) – France wants to boost tourism by developing wine tours in its countryside, part of a series of measures aimed at retaining the country’s position as the top destination in the world.
France’s foreign affairs minister, Laurent Fabius, set Thursday a target of 100 million foreign tourists per year by 2020, up from 84 million now.
Fabius told a news conference: “Tourism is a national treasure. Wine is an important sector to attract foreign customers in our beautiful wine-growing regions that are still under-visited: Bordeaux, Bourgogne, Languedoc, Rhone, Champagne, etc.”
Fabius announced the creation of a state-owned investment fund that would, among other things, help finance tourist facilities in vineyard areas.
Another measure aims to support events promoting France’s gastronomy.