France riding the eurostar wave

Recent improvements to transport could be attracting more Brits to France…

The Independent stated that although tourism figures for 2007 had not yet been published, it was likely that the number of British visitors would exceed the amount recorded a year earlier. Eurostar's new high-speed rail link, which offers passage from St Pancras in London to Paris in just two and a quarter hours, was cited as the main reason for the likely increase.

Commenting on the country, the Independent said: "Britons might have the odd fling with exotic destinations but, for many holidaymakers, France remains a long-term love affair."

The newspaper added that France attracted almost 11 million people from the UK last year. Another move that could increase visitor numbers this year is the launch of extra flights from Britain over the next few months. Low-cost carrier easyJet has just opened a new base in Paris as part of its plan to double the number of passengers flying to France in the next three years.