France has retained its position as the world's top tourist destination, its tourism ministry has announced.
Some 78 million foreign travellers visited the country over the last 12 months, up 2.7 per cent on the previous year, as our Gallic neighbours maintained their reputation as the tourist's pride of Europe.
France's efforts to preserve the historical traditions of its rural communities, cities' culture and develop their tourist resorts have won it €34 billion (£22 billion) in total revenues, an increase of 2.5 per cent on the year before.
Although the majority of visitors to France came from Europe, with the numbers of Spanish, Dutch and Swiss travellers continuing to rise, there was also an increase in Chinese tourists, as the French appeal spreads further across the world.
France has long since been a British tourist staple; it is persistently ranked as one of our top destinations for city breaks while its rural charm attracts thousands of Brits each year to rent villas and cottages deep in the countryside.
With world-renowned sites such as the Eiffel Tower, the Sacre Coeur and the Notre Dame Cathedral, Paris has a uniquely relaxed atmosphere of terraced cafes, tree-lined boulevards and red wine lunches for the city-breaker.
Meanwhile, the more adventurous traveller can partake in kayaking, mountain climbing, trekking and abseiling at resorts based on some of the southern countryside's many rivers.
In
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