FRIENDLY FRENCH:WHETHER IT'S justified or not, Parisians have developed something of a reputation over the years for not being too welcoming. According to the cliche, they rarely smile and will go out of their way not to help a tourist who is unable to speak French.
Nevertheless, the French capital remains among the world’s top destinations, and tourism authorities would like to keep it that way. So for the third year in a row they’ve launched a campaign to remind residents how important tourism is to their city.
“The plan is to reinforce the image of a welcoming city and even more this year to say to Parisians that they play a role in how the world perceives Paris as a tourist destination,” says Assina Charrier, partnership and sustainable-tourism director at the Office of Tourism in Paris.
“It’s also to say to them that they play a role in the economic importance of tourism to their city and their quality of life.”
The Paris Smiles for You campaign will also involve concerted efforts to offer advice to tourists and to help them navigate their way around the city over the busy summer months. Multilingual “ambassadors of welcome” have set up at Notre Dame and on the Champs-Elysées, and from next month similar kiosks will be put in place in other landmark areas.
Last year’s Paris Vous Sourit efforts culminated in 250 people forming a human smile at the Arc de Triomphe. This year the Office of Tourism hopes to get at least 1,500 locals and tourists to take part in a similar event at the Trocadéro on July 12th.
Charrier says the idea that Parisians are not too friendly is no longer relevant. “You’re talking about a cliche or caricature that doesn’t reflect the reality,” she says. “It’s not us that are saying it – national and international surveys confirm that Paris is a welcoming city.”
* www.parisinfo.com/paris-vous-sourit-2009