PARIS - France plans to spend a million euros to lure back foreign tourists after its image was damaged by pictures of burning cars and angry youths shown on televisions around the world during recent riots. The Tourism Ministry said on Thursday it will take out advertisements in newspapers and travel websites, with one showing a couple embracing next to the Eiffel Tower.

LOL

This has been going on for ages, I don't think Sarkozy should have made that 'scum' comment! talk about fanning the flames.

Are they just troublemakers or does anyone sympathise? I hear France is quite a racist country.

France is a very racist country, And a trend setting one at that. Its pathetic that they destroy their own towns protesting democracy. and then accusing the winner of being facist. yet their very actions at losing the election show their hatred of democracy. sore losers. very typical of leftists world wide.

PARIS - France plans to spend a million euros to lure back foreign tourists after its image was damaged by pictures of burning cars and angry youths shown on televisions around the world during recent riots. The Tourism Ministry said on Thursday it will take out advertisements in newspapers and travel websites, with one showing a couple embracing next to the Eiffel Tower.

LOL

I think people are always going to visit France, it's one of the world's top destinations. Hysterical foreign office warnings aside, I doubt they'll notice much of a dip in trade. They'll brush the problem under the rug and carry on, business as usual.

Really interesting points from Sarah - thanks. Always good to have a different perspective!

I'm french and infortunally you're quite wright about France's racism... the fact is that it is really hypocritical from France to say that the "république" is so strong that everybody is egual and that everybody will intigrate himself naturally in this society. In the facts it is all the contrary : people don't declare themselves racist but they don't take someone from minority on a job at all... It's a real tragedy we are living here in France... All these kids are just howling teir despair and the discrimation on them and on the pasts generations...

What i'm afraid of is that it would produce the contrary of what the rioter may expect : i'm afraid of a duel Sarko - le Pen for the election of the president in 2007, so a recrudescence much more important of racism and discrimination...

That is my opinion...

Sarah.

and I'm agree with your mind...

I sympathise to a certain degree, but they aren't helping themselves by burning cars!