France looks to reassure tourists country is safe

French authorities are beefing up security and have pledged to issue visas faster to Chinese applicants as part of its effort to win back tourists scared off by recent terrorist attacks on its cities.

In an exclusive interview, Francois Navarro, general director of the Paris Region Tourist Board, revealed overall visitor numbers to Paris have plummeted since November, when Islamic militants launched an attack on the French capital.

Several Chinese tour operators, including Ctrip, offered refunds to customers booked to travel to Nice, following the July 14 attack.