French to smarten up their image

Press, 6 October 1987, Page 40

French to smarten up their image

By

LES BLOXHAM

The French Government has issued a new decree to those employed in its tourist industry: be more helpful to visitors, particularly the British. Worried by an increasing number of complaints about arrogance and rip-offs, the authorities in Paris have started a “pamper them” camSiaign to make tourists eel more welcome. ' “We have a reputation for being expensive and. unhelpful. We need to change all that,” said Mr Jean-Jacques Descamps, Secretary ot State for Tourism. He illustrated the new policy with a story going the rounds of his Ministry: “A Frenchman and a Japanese are in a zoo when a lion escapes. The Frenchman starts to run and thinks, T hope I can run faster than the lion.’ The Japanese also starts running and thinks, T hope I can run faster than the Frenchman.' “We have to start thinking like the Japanese,” said Mr Descamps.

The Government has allocated an extra $1.5 million for tourist information offices and is planning to have an army of young linguists roaming the streets to assist foreigners in trouble.

The authorities are also preparing to install special ticket machines and money baskets on the right-hand side, of motorway toil gates to help British drivers. < Most of the complaints the French receive are from Britons who make up the biggest percentage of visitor numbers.