Fri, 29 Mar 2024 Today's Paper

Overflowing bins, strikes greet Euro 2016 visitors in France

By

11 June 2016 12:00 am - 0     - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

A A A

A woman walks past a pile of un-collected rubbish in Paris yesterday

AFP -  Overflowing rubbish bins, transport strikes, violent political protests, and floods -- the image of France as Euro 2016 kicked off yesterday is worrying tourist chiefs.


With the world’s eyes on France, tourism officials fear the country’s current difficulties could tarnish its reputation for years to come.


As hundreds of thousands of fans began arriving for the tournament, a train strike entered its ninth day and bags of household rubbish piled up in the streets of Paris as union blockades of incineration plants halted collections.


All this on top of massive floods and an ongoing row over labour law reforms that has seen police and protesters clash in the streets.


“It is just catastrophic. The international media are showing Paris in flames and France in permanent social conflict. And the foreigners who see the bins outside the Cafe de Flore will think the whole country’s like this!” Jean-Pierre Mas, head of Entreprises du Voyage, the national trade body for travel agents, told AFP.


He said the “summer season is already ruined because we’re bang in the period when people book their summer holidays and they won’t hesitate to go somewhere else”.
Frederic Valletoux, the head of the tourism commission for the Paris region, echoed his pessimism, saying they had “put back any hope of seeing numbers bounce back before September”.


Order Gifts and Flowers to Sri Lanka. See Kapruka's top selling online shopping categories such as Toys, Grocery, Kids Toys, Birthday Cakes, Fruits, Chocolates, Clothing and Electronics. Also see Kapruka's unique online services such as Money Remittence,Astrology, Courier/Delivery, Medicine Delivery and over 700 top brands. Also get products from Amazon & Ebay via Kapruka Gloabal Shop into Sri Lanka

  Comments - 0

Order Gifts and Flowers to Sri Lanka. See Kapruka's top selling online shopping categories such as Toys, Grocery, Kids Toys, Birthday Cakes, Fruits, Chocolates, Clothing and Electronics. Also see Kapruka's unique online services such as Money Remittence,Astrology, Courier/Delivery, Medicine Delivery and over 700 top brands. Also get products from Amazon & Ebay via Kapruka Gloabal Shop into Sri Lanka

Add comment

Comments will be edited (grammar, spelling and slang) and authorized at the discretion of Daily Mirror online. The website also has the right not to publish selected comments.

Reply To:

Name - Reply Comment





Order Gifts and Flowers to Sri Lanka. See Kapruka's top selling online shopping categories such as Toys, Grocery, Kids Toys, Birthday Cakes, Fruits, Chocolates, Clothing and Electronics. Also see Kapruka's unique online services such as Money Remittence,Astrology, Courier/Delivery, Medicine Delivery and over 700 top brands. Also get products from Amazon & Ebay via Kapruka Gloabal Shop into Sri Lanka

VAT increase: SOUNDs death knell for publishers, readers

Though the Government imposed VAT (Value Added Tax) on vegetables and other e

How female change-makers are driving Sri Lanka’s energy saving platform

Saving energy has become more of a responsibility than a habit in today’s c

A dull Ramadan awaits Muslims amidst the Soaring Cost of Living

In the coming days, Muslims across the world will welcome the Holy Month of R

New wildlife underpass to curtail HEC

As of February 2024, Sri Lanka lost another 38 elephants as a result of the H