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| Europe | |
| Luring American Tourists with Free Champagne | |
| 2003-07-03 | |
| Paris is launching a champagne and flowers charm offensive to woo U.S. tourists after France's opposition to the U.S.-led war in Iraq triggered a large drop in the number of transatlantic visitors. Around 100 hotels, restaurants, shops and other businesses will be laying on the bubbly, blooms and other treats for American visitors in a promotional campaign timed to coincide with the U.S. Independence Day celebrations on July 4. "This campaign is aimed at Americans who would like to visit France, but are worried about what kind of welcome they might receive," the tourist office said in a statement. They still don't get it. Last year, Paris hosted 1.7 million tourists from the United States, more than from any other country, but in the first four months of this year numbers have slumped by almost a quarter. And that's not even the tourist season. Bet they looked at reservations for the summer and they are way down. Snicker. Across the Atlantic, France last month launched a new promotional video, in which film director Woody Allen urged fellow Americans to visit France and eat French fries. Wonder what coffehouse this video is showing in? Has anyone out there seen it running on television, other than news reports about it?
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| Posted by:Steve |