TORONTO — The first France Tourism offices opened their doors in 1947 on Drummond Street in Montreal. Seven decades later the country attracts more than 85 million visitors, making it the most popular country for tourism in the world.

In 2009 Maison de la France and ODIT France merged to create Atout France, the sole operator of the French State for development and promotion of tourism French tourism.

Canada’s love of France has grown steadily over the years, says Atout France. From 1998 to 2008, trips with night stays have increased from 452,000 to 807,000. In 2014, a turning point was reached with 1,023.000 Canadian visitors to France.

Despite the 2015 terrorist attacks that severely impacted France and the recent storm that caused major damages to Saint Martin island, France “stands tall”, says Mélanie Paul-Hus, the new Director for Atout France in Canada.

Many more consumer campaigns and trade shows are scheduled in order to reconquer the heart of Canadian and international clientele, she adds.

And looking forward, notably to 2024, when the Olympic Games will return to Paris, the momentum that carries the tourism development of the country “is undeniable”, says Paul-Hus.

For the Consul General of France in Toronto, Marc Trouyet, giving new impetus to the French tourism industry is a major priority of the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs.

The Government has set an annual target of 100 million international tourists by 2020, and expects revenues generated by tourism to reach 50 billion euros (approximately Cdn$76 billion) annually by the end of the decade.