Контрольная работа: France
Consult this page for details on all forms of transportation to and from - as well as within - France. Includes info on air travel, auto routes, bicycling, boats, buses, car rentals, railways, subway (métro), etc.
Travelers' Allowances
Residents of the U. S. and Canada traveling to France may import items free of customs duties or VAT (value added tax), limited to a value of 1200 FF (age 15+) or 600 FF (age <15 years), subject to certain restrictions on tobacco, alcohol, perfumes, and other products.
Travel Preparations
Arthur Frommer offers a series of helpful articles, with tips on what to do and pack before leaving home, reasons for carrying as little cash as possible, the most essential travel accessories, and more.
U. S. Consulate Information
Check this site for tips on crime, updated travel advisories and worldwide terrorist activities. Particularly useful are the cautions about avoiding pickpockets, organized rings of thieves, and coercive marketing practices by some entertainment establishments.
Welcoming Disabled Persons
In the past few years, much has been done to welcome individuals with disabilities who wish to visit France, with respect to accommodations, transportation, parking, phones, recreation, access to public venues, etc.
France remains the most popular vacation destination in the world, with over 77 million incoming arrivals in 2002.
French nationals still prefer to vacation in France. Despite the strength of the euro, over 90% of French trips were domestic trips within France.
In 2003, Prime Minister Jean Pierre Raffarin convened the first inter-ministerial meeting on tourism in 20 years. Scheduled to become an annual meeting, its goal is to support and promote the tourism industry, particularly in light of the difficulties which began in large part with the 11 September 2001 terrorist attacks in the US, and which continued with the military action in Iraq in 2003, as well as other events such as the SARS outbreak in Southeast Asia.
Though long-haul tourist arrivals were down in 2002 and 2003, European visitors remained plentiful, mitigating to some extent the effects on the French travel and tourism industry of the 11 September attacks, military conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq, and the SARS outbreak.
Travel accommodation has had a difficult time, as the events of 11 September caused a number of cancellations. The difficult operating environment, coupled with the decisions of many domestic travellers to stay with family and friends, has exacerbated the situation.
The devastating drought and extreme heat of summer 2003 affected the tourism industry, due to cancellations.
The failures of the small airlines Air Lib and Air Littoral consolidated Air France’s domination of the French skies, aided by its September 2003 decision to merge with KLM.
The success of the TGV continues through the Paris/Marseilles link and a faster link between Paris and London. The New Paris/Strasbourg link projected for 2007/2008 should continue to boost sales.
Car rental has suffered from the lack of foreign tourists, though domestic and inter-European rentals have remained strong. Increasing price competition has been a major issue as budget groups like ADA and easyCar make inroads.
The travel retail sector has still not recovered since the 11 September attacks in New York and Washington. Cancellations continue after further terrorist attacks and military intervention in Afghanistan and Iraq.
PR campaigns to bring US tourists back to France after the diplomatic tension between the two countries were not sufficient to bring levels of incoming travel back to normal.
Tourist attractions in France should remain strong, given the diversity of attractions ranging from theme parks to world class museums.
Although this is clearly a difficult period for the French tourist industry, officials hope for recovery by the end of 2004, as long as major economies like the US and Japan continue to improve.
As a whole, the French tourist industry is likely to continue growing. French officials expect increasing numbers of tourists from China and South America to help fuel this growth.
Conclusion
France possesses a large variety of landscapes, ranging from coastal plains in the north and west, where France borders the North Sea and the Atlantic Ocean, to the mountain ranges in the south (the Pyrenees) and the southeast (the Alps), of which the latter contains the highest point of Europe, the Mont Blanc at 4810 m.
In between are found other elevated regions such as the Massif Central or the Vosges mountains and extensive river basins such as those of the Loire River, the Rhone River, the Garonne and Seine.
France's economy combines extensive private enterprise with substantial, but declining, government intervention. Large tracts of fertile land, the application of modern technology, and subsidies have combined to make France the leading agricultural producer in Western Europe.
The government retains considerable influence over key segments of infrastructure sectors, with majority ownership of railway, electricity, aircraft, and telecommunication firms. It has been gradually relaxing its control over these sectors since the early 1990s. The government is slowly selling off holdings in France Telecom, in Air France, and in the insurance, banking, and defense industries.
France joined 10 other EU members to launch the euro on January 1, 1999, with euro coins and banknotes completely replacing the French franc in early 2002.
Literature
1. Жидкова О.А. История государства и права зарубежных стран. МГУ 1999г.