Paris — The number of foreign tourists visiting France rose in the fourth quarter of 2016, official data showed on Tuesday, confirming a gradual rebound in a sector that had been hit by a wave of Islamist militant attacks. The number of nightly stays in France by foreign tourists rose 2.9% in the three months to end-December compared to the same period a year ago, as the traditional Christmas and year-end festivities gave a boost to the industry. Nightly stays in Paris hotels were up 4.5% in the fourth quarter, with 3.3% more foreign tourists than a year ago, added the Insee statistics office. The rise confirmed recent industry reports of a gradual recovery from a dip in foreign tourism caused by militant Islamist attacks in France, which had impacted tourism numbers during the Christmas 2015 season. Nevertheless, France’s status as the world’s most visited country suffered a new blow last week after a man armed with machetes attacked a French soldier near the entrance to the Paris ...
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