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European Heritage Days 2026: ideas for visits in France
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France weather update: highs of 35C next week as high-pressure system returns
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Second home construction banned on Ile d’Yeu in western France
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Macron has been boost for tourism
The wave of optimism that greeted Emmanuel Macron’s election as president has also seen a surge in the number of tourists, continuing the rise from the end of last year.
Sites such as Mont Saint-Michel have reported numbers up and theme park Futuroscope beat its historic record for a single day with 20,000 visitors for the Ascension holiday.
Importantly, good weather also gave a boost with Deloitte/ In Extenso research showing hotels in Paris and all round the coast seeing a rise in both international and leisure visitors.
Room revenues increased by up to 8% on average with the Côte d’Azur shaking off the effects of last year’s Nice terror attack to rise 10% on economy holidays and 22% for high-end.
Tourism industry analyst Didier Arno of Protourisme said President Macron had played a key role in being photographed at tourist hotspots such as the Louvre and meeting world leaders such as Vladimir Putin at Versailles to give a shining image “away from rain and floods, strikes and protests” as there had been in 2016.
