A state of emergency was declared in France. What should tourists do?
It is difficult to scare tourists with political protest and even a state of emergency.
Tour operators report that the number of cancellations actually made to tourists in connection with high-profile television reports about the “yellow vest revolution” in Paris, did not exceed several units. If you want to see France without a political context, you will be offered an alternative program.
Monday night the president France Emmanuel Macron called the country “economic and social emergency”. “In the events of recent weeks, which have deeply traumatized the country, legitimate demands and a chain of unacceptable violence have been mixed. There will be “no leniency” for these actions.
Experts of the travel industry believe that the measures that are usually presented when the phrase “state of emergency” will not be introduced. Travelers can not be afraid of difficulties with police checks and blocking excursion routes.
The promised measures relate to the economy, and conditionally “good” – citizens are promised an increase in the minimum wage by 100 euros, the abolition of tax on additional working hours and tax reform.
Emmanuel Macron opposed the “tax on the rich” and did not comment on the formal reason for the speeches – the increase in fuel tariffs.
On Saturday, 8,000 policemen provided security for the city, and 10 or 8,000 took part in the protest marches – for each participant there was a police officer.
On Saturday, cafe and shop owners closed for fear of street fighting. According to experts, the losses will be at least 1 billion euros. In particular, due to the fact that on the eve of the high season, half of the guests-tourists were not counted in some hotels in Paris.
There are few refusals among Russian organized tourists. Excursions are on schedule, and according to host partners in Paris, everything is stable in the capital. There are public transport, taxis, shops, museums.
Protesters go out on Saturdays, and on Sunday they have to rest – on Monday – for work. After Saturday's protests, it's hard to understand what happened here yesterday: everything was cleaned, washed, people walk, Chinese take pictures, shops and cafes are open.