Service sector
Reception
MAP, P. Xicluna
Financial services and banking
The Paris Stock Exchange, renamed Euronext Paris, is the official stockmarket in France. In 2000 Euronext replaced and merged the stock exchanges of Paris, Amsterdam and Brussels. In 2002, it bought the London International Financial Futures and Options Exchange (LIFFE) and merged with the Lisbon Stock Exchange.
2007 saw the merger of the pan-European stock exchange with the New York Stock Exchange. With market capitalisation of 21,500 billion euros, NYSE Euronext is the world's leading stock market.
The main French banks are BNP Paribas, Crédit Agricole, Société Générale, and Le Crédit Lyonnais (LCL).
Insurance
The French insurance sector has consolidated its position as the fifth largest in the world, with turnover of €198.4 billion. Axa, Europe's second largest insurance company, CNP and AGF are the three main French insurance companies. Personal insurance (life and health) is continuing to expand (+16.1%). Damage insurance (property and third-party liability) is growing by 2.2%. The insurance sector employs some 200,000 people.
Tourism
Calanque inlet between Marseille and Cassis (Bouches-du-Rhône, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region)
Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, Marseille Tourist Office
With 76 million foreign tourists in 2006, France is the most visited country in the world.
France has :
- 18,284 hotels
- 8,138 camping sites
- 914 holiday villages
- 177 youth hostels
- 69,700 gîtes (self-catering holiday facilities)
- 34,848 chambres d'hôtes (bed and breakfast).
France ranks third in tourism revenue worldwide (after the United States and Spain), with a total amount of 66 billion euros.
The trade surplus in this area is over 8.9 billion Euros.
www.franceguide.com (EN)
- Sources: Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs
- Updated: 08.09.2008
