French cuisine and the Eiffel Tower in Paris invite you

Tourism plays an important economic role in France. Around a million people work in the tourism sector; Around ten percent of the gross national product is generated there. The country was considered the world's most important tourist destination in 2019, with 90 million foreign visitors. Paris and its surrounding area, the Île-de-France, the Mediterranean coast (e.g. Côte d'Azur) and the French Alps are important holiday regions. As of 2019, the country had 45 UNESCO World Heritage Sites. In the World Economic Forum's 2019 Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report, which measures a country's tourism performance, France ranks second out of 140 countries.

France does not see itself as a Grande Nation. In media policy, one's own culture and language are promoted through quotas for films and music. France is vigorously pursuing its concept of defending cultural diversity (“diversité culturelle”) in the European Union, UNESCO and the World Trade Organization (WTO): culture is not a commodity that can be freely traded without restrictions. The cultural sector is therefore an exception to the rest of the economy (“exception culturelle”).

Nationwide care and preservation of the rich material cultural heritage is viewed as a task of national importance. This understanding is effectively conveyed to the public through government-organized or sponsored measures that contribute to the formation of national cultural awareness. Days of national heritage, music or cinema, for example, which are firmly anchored in the annual cultural calendar, are very well received by the population.

French cuisine (Cuisine française) has been considered the most influential national cuisine in Europe since the early modern period. It is world-famous for both its quality and its versatility and looks back on a long tradition. In France, food is an important part of daily life and the cultivation of cuisine is an indispensable part of the national culture. The French gastronomic meal was recognized as an intangible world heritage by UNESCO.