Following on our earlier post, another report on the surly French by the disconcerted French:
Bernard Plasait, a member of France's upper house of parliament, has concluded what millions of visitors have known for years."Our bad image in this area, the arrogance we are accused of, our refusal to speak foreign languages, the sense we give that it's a great honor to visit us are among the ugly facts of which we should not be proud," reads the first paragraph of Mr. Plasait's report, which was commissioned by the government.
"Certainly, these accusations don't date from yesterday," the report continues.
"To claim we are the 'number-one tourist destination in the world' doesn't count for anything," says the report. "Among the 75 million visitors counted in 2003 were those who were only crossing the country, once on their way to Spain or Italy and a second time to return home."
The report says a more realistic way of judging is by the annual income from tourists, which places France in third place with $36 billion after the United States ($90 billion) and Spain ($40 billion).
It also cites a survey of world travelers by the European polling firm Ipsos, which asked people which countries they would most like to visit. The survey placed France fourth, behind Italy, Spain, Britain and equal to the United States.
Some of our French correspondents pooh-pooh the drop-off in American travel to France. Not so their government:
The French government particularly was alarmed by the 21 percent, or $6 billion, drop in spending by visitors from the United States.
The government's bitter civic medicine for the French, be more polite:
The Plasait report focuses on visitors' first impressions of French airports, ports and railway stations, which, it concluded, were "often negative."It criticized a lack of warmth and professionalism among staff and a failure to regard the customer as king.
Paris' main airport, Charles de Gaulle/Roissy, which handles almost 50 million passengers a year, was singled out for criticism.
Surly staff, slow baggage handlers, a lack of "Welcome to France" signs, confusing directions, poor transportation connections, slow and dirty trains, and taxi drivers who do not speak English were among the complaints.
The report also attacks immigration officers for giving a bad impression of the country.
"Instead of behaving like ambassadors for France, they don't even respond to 'hello' or a smile," it says.
"[The French] have to learn that the tourist is not a nuisance but a benefit. Our welcome is not good enough. ... This is not a fantasy, but a cruel reality."
[Emphases added.]
A 21%, or $6 Billion drop in spending by visitors from the US is good, but let's raise the bar for 2005. I'd like to see it hit 40% or $12 Billion next year. I'm sure the lead Frog will provide us with many more reasons to go somewhere else in the near future.
Dwayne,
Go pay a visit to LGF and see a story on yet MORE mass graves. This trove of horror held bodies of newborn babies, toddlers, mothers clutching little ones shot in the head. It was Saddam and his regime that put these helpless little ones there.
Knowing that Jacues et Co. were so eager to keep this monster in power is all the incentive I need to never again set foot in France.
And who was turning a blind eye while thousands of Kurds were being gased while providing Saddam some nasty stuff to wipe out Iranian soldiers, Valerie, just France? That hypocritical.
Surly staff, slow baggage handlers, a lack of "Welcome to France" signs, confusing directions, poor transportation connections, slow and dirty trains, and taxi drivers who do not speak English were among the complaints.
Funny, if there is a single consistant compliment from foreigners to France (a fact as well, if you compare to the UK and many parts of the US) and from a few American architects I happen to know, it's about the French infrastructure, one of the best in the world - transportation, signage, trains on time etc... in fact, construction and public transportation is one of France biggest know-how export.
As far as cabbies not speaking English, what a joke, when most NYC cabbies don't even speak it. Dirty trains? Have you ever taken public transport in San Francisco or NYC?
Airport friendliness, that's another story but I've seen it in other countries as well. I've never been told "Welcome to America" at US airports. So what? As long as my plane leaves on time...
And don't compare everything to Paris.
Zoomer, I’d like to make it easier for you to post. So I’ve made a little template for you. Copy this and then fill in the blanks when you post. This way you will not forget to mention Halliburton either, as you did in your post above. Good Luck.
Zoomer’s template:
It’s OK that France did (Fill in horrible action here) because the US did (Fill in another example here). And besides, look what Halliburton (does or did, choose one). How hypocritical you Americans are.
M. Zx,
You are not a careful reader.
The post does not compare Paris, or France for that matter, to anything. It is a French report with French conclusions on French comportment and the deleterious effects to France thereof.
You are the one one has introduced gratuitous comparisons to NYC and San Franciso.
Your government doesn't share your rosy assessment. And unlike your handful of anecdotes, your government has made a systemic study of French competencies as hosts. If you have a beef, take it up with your government.
Your reflexively defensive comments suggest a lack of confidence in your own pronouncements.
Please comment relevantly on the post.
Regards,
DGB
As far as cabbies not speaking English, what a joke, when most NYC cabbies don't even speak it.
You beat me to it, but not to be outdone - New York also does not have "Welcome to France" signs!
I'm leaving Paris on sunday, i'll be able then to compare the french and the canadian hospitality :)
I posted this some days ago about the previous post: here is a short personal list of places in Paris where you can eat -or have a drink- enjoying nice food, good hygiene (well, i mean that i tested them and didn't wake up the day after with some intestinal disease) and not-too-desastrous waitstaff.
- Le Plomb du Cantal: boulevard Saint Denis, m°Strasbourg-Saint Denis. cheap (less than 15€), good specialities from Auvergne (yes, it includes a LOT of cheese), and very good waiters.
- L'Epicerie: at the very beginning of rue Montorgueil, m°Les Halles. French specialities and some more sophisticated dishes (eg. filet mignon au cassis) at affordable prices (less than 15€). Good staff there also.
- Little Italy: rue des Petits Carreaux, m°Sentier. for those who boycott french food and want to try good hand-made pasta and pizze for less than 10€ in a very nice street. (i know many other nice foreign restaurants in paris, but this list is intended to give you french food addresses!)
- Le Loup Blanc: rue Tiquetonne, m°Etienne Marcel. nice food, not so expensive (less than 20€) but a bit noisy.
- L'Epi Dupin: rue Dupin, m°Sevres-Babylone. quite more expensive than the others (25-35€), but this one is really great for food. it appears in all travel guides because of its quality/price ratio. worths it.
- Le Dôme du Marais: rue des Francs-Bourgeois, m°Rambuteau. if you can't go to the previous one, try this one which proposes quite the same quality of food -plus a fantastic layout.
- some places to have a drink: le Trucmush, near Bastille (don't remember the street), The Bombardier, on the left of le Pantheon, le Requin Chagrin place Mouffetard, and Le baron Rouge near place d'Aligre, to have a glass of red wine after a matinee at le marché
oh, and if you want to experience the WORST serving of paris, don't miss the café at the very beginning of rue Montorgueil, on the right side of the street. There, a waiter refused to give me a coffee, called me "squatteur de terrasse" and enjoined me to leave because i ordered the cheapest drink on the menu! :)
M. Goldsoundz,
Merci. If you are in NYC during your American visit, look me up.
Regards,
DGB
There, a waiter refused to give me a coffee, called me "squatteur de terrasse" and enjoined me to leave because i ordered the cheapest drink on the menu! :)
See Damian, Parisian waiters are equally rude to us "natives" too!
"Squatteur de terrasse"! That's a good one.
"le Requin Chagrin"
Creole food, a block away from Ernest Hemingway's apartment.
