French Minister of Economy and Finance: "French Tourists Decreased by 30-40% Due to COVID-19"

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] Bruno Le Maire, France's Minister of Economy and Finance, stated that the number of tourists visiting France has decreased by 30-40% due to the impact of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19). France is known as the country with the highest number of tourists visiting from around the world, and since tourism accounts for 8% of the gross domestic product (GDP), there are serious concerns about the significant economic damage caused by the hit to the tourism industry.

According to CNBC, on the 23rd (local time), Minister Le Maire said at a press conference following the G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors meeting held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, "The number of tourists visiting France has decreased by about 30-40% more than expected," adding, "This will have a major impact on the French economy." Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, more than 200,000 flights worldwide have been canceled, and with the ongoing atmosphere of refraining from overseas travel, France, a major tourist country, is taking a direct hit.

France is known as the country with the highest number of tourists visiting from around the world, and since the tourism industry accounts for a large portion of the economy, there are concerns that the economic damage will be even greater. According to statistics from the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in 2018, the number of foreign tourists visiting France was 89.4 million, and the tourism industry accounted for 8% of GDP. Among all foreign tourists, Chinese tourists accounted for about 3%, approximately 2.7 million. Since the Chinese government has banned group overseas travel for its citizens and overseas travel itself is expected to shrink significantly due to the COVID-19 outbreak, significant economic damage is anticipated.

Meanwhile, as of now, the cumulative number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in France is 12, with one reported death. The deceased was an 80-year-old Chinese male tourist who was receiving treatment in France. No deaths have been reported among French nationals yet.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.