French tourist accommodation in high demand

Tourist accommodation in France came under higher demand last year, new figures have revealed.

According to government data, nearly 82 million holidaymakers visited the country in 2007, reports Reuters.

This figure - which is four per cent up on the previous year - was dominated by the European market, as this accounted for almost half of all incoming visitors.

A seven per cent increase in the number of American visitors was also recorded throughout the same period.

This means that rental accommodation in France will have been in much greater demand from holidaymakers in 2007, thereby generating higher returns for property owners.

The release of the figures comes after ShelterOffshore.com tipped France to be a hotspot of activity for British property buyers next year.

According to the website, this is because the country is "on our doorstep", which means rising fuel prices are less likely to be an issue for travellers.