France Expects 50 Million Foreign Tourists This Summer

(Bloomberg) --

Tourism to France is rebounding versus last year, when the pandemic shut borders, though U.S. and Asian visitors remain limited, said Tourism Minister Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne.

France expects 50 million foreign tourists this summer, up from 35 million in the comparable period last year but down from 90 million in 2019, Lemoyne said.

A so-called health pass -- proof of vaccination or a recent negative Covid-19 test -- is required to enter museums and theme parks, and that will be extended to bars, restaurants and long-distance trains starting Aug. 9.

“A period of teaching will be necessary for the French to get used to the health pass,” Lemoyne said in an interview with the Journal du Dimanche newspaper. “But it is essential to keep all these establishments open.”

The best way to ensure a strong tourist season is for everyone to get vaccinated, he said.

European tourists are back in force, except for British visitors because the U.K. government is requiring a 14-day isolation upon return from France, the minister said.

While a few Americans are starting to travel again, Asian customers largely won’t be back until next year, he said.

Opponents of the health pass, who say it infringes on their freedom, took to the streets in Paris and other cities on Saturday in a third weekend of protests against the measure.

More than 204,000 people marched, including more than 14,000 in the capital, Agence France-Presse reported, citing Interior Ministry figures.

More than half of French people don’t support the protests against the health pass, according to a poll last week by Harris Interactive for television news channel LCI. The survey found 40% back the marches, while 8% were indifferent.

Almost 65% of French adults are fully vaccinated, according to government figures.

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