Is it safe to travel to France?
First, there was the Charlie Hebdo shooting last January, then the Paris terror attacks in November, and most recently the Bastille Day attack in Nice and the stabbing of a Catholic Priest in Normandy. Understandably, these horrific incidents have people asking, “is it still safe to travel to France?”
The country has reported a huge 30 per cent decline in visitors this August, but is it for good reason? According to the World Travel & Tourism Council, French tourism numbers are unlikely to return to their former levels for around 13 months, possibly longer if there are more incidents.
The state of emergency declared in France after the Paris attacks was set to expire just a week ago, but recent events have seen it extended by a further three months. The nation has also seen up to 7,000 troops have deployed to at-risk areas in an effort to increase security.
At the moment, the New Zealand Government’s SafeTravel website says there is "some risk" for travellers planning a trip to France. “New Zealanders in France are advised to keep themselves informed of potential risks to safety and security by monitoring the media and other local information sources.”
So, for those still expecting to visit the country, the best thing you can do is stay alert. The French government has released a smartphone app to keep both citizens and travellers aware of any incidents happening around them. To download the Population Alert and Information System app for your iOS device, click here. For Android devices, you can download the app here.
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