Recession it may well be, but France has retained the tag of being the top tourist destination in the world. Recession it may well be, but France has retained the tag of being the top tourist destination in the world. An astounding 79 million tourists visited France in 2008, though it must be said that this is 3 per cent lower than the previous year. Spain with 55.9 million tourists and the US with 49 million bagged the next two spots on the list. The super-hyped Aamir Khan campaign notwithstanding, Incredible India only managed to get 5.7 million tourists in 2008. French Tourism Secretary Herve Novelli insists that Paris is the place to be seen in. “France is still the world’s first tourist destination,” he says. Tourism accounts for 6 per cent of French GDP. However, the outlook for 2009 is not as rosy with the government expecting a slump
