French tourism companies want special police force amid safety fears
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PARIS - France's tourism sector on Tuesday urged French authorities to set up a special police force in Paris to fight crime targeting tourists as safety fears curb the number of visitors to the French capital.
Foreign tourist arrivals to France could fall 4-5 percent this year following Islamic militant attacks and repeated robberies against Asian tourists, warned Alliance 46.2, a group representing firms that rely on foreign visitors.
Its members include department store chain Galeries Lafayette and holiday group Club Med and AccorHotels.
"The image of France has deeply deteriorated and it's likely that 2017 will still feel the impact. The recovery may therefore be long," it said.
