TOURIST CHARACTERISTICS IN FRANCE

Tourism in France force actors and territories to adapt and to meet the demand and needs of visitors from different countries and cultures. This intercultural requirement requires, in particular, a more detailed knowledge of the practices, perceptions and feelings of foreign tourists, particularly Chinese tourists, whose numbers are increasing sharply in France, Europe and the world. The article proposes an exploratory approach to the representations associated with the practices of matching tourists’ needs in France. The study was carried out by examining related topics on the websites and teaching materials provided for the researchers at the University of Anger, France over the past 3 years that leads to a first typology. The protocol used for analyzing these tourist practices makes it possible to understand the level of tourist satisfaction; which was initiated by analyzing the aspects that shape their complex behavior based on their feelings and perceptions at a particular study spot. The results show that what makes tourism in France successful is because tourists can enjoy a wide range of activities that are oriented towards discovery, rest, sociability, shopping and games. From a more operational point of view, the approach makes it possible to envisage an improvement in the dialogue between tourist operators and end users, a finer adaptation of supply and demand, an improvement in the well-being of tourists and a strengthening of the attractiveness of the territories.