Britons boost French wintersports scene, says tourism official

The French wintersports scene has thrived this winter, thanks largely to the British, it has been stated.

Director of the French government tourist office Maison de la France Jean-Pierre Courteau said: "We have 400,000 British skiers in France and they are still the main group in the French Alps and the Pyrenees."

Mr Corteau also noted that British visitors have been tending to diversify in terms of the parts of France they visit, with less emphasis on touring round cities.

Such patterns of UK holidaymaking may help inform those who are planning to invest in property in France.

British overseas tourism largely held up over the course of 2008, new figures have indicated.

Data from the Office for National Statistics showed that in the 12 months to December 2008 there were 54.5 million visits to European destinations by Britons, one per cent down on the previous year.
 

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