Parisians really are rude to tourists – true or false?

In June last year, as part of a new campaign, Paris tourism chiefs published a training manual aimed at teaching Parisians who come into contact with tourists how to offer them a warmer welcome. 

The “Do you speak touriste?” campaign consisted of a guide, which is being sent out to 30,000 tourism industry professionals, as well as a website, www.doyouspeaktouriste.fr.

“The aim of this campaign is to focus on the quality of welcome that visitors receive in Paris, and to train professionals here to understand the differences between them,” François Naverro from the CRT, told The Local at the time.

This week The Local took to the streets of the City of Light to speak to tourists to find out whether they had noticed any difference in the welcome they had been given and indeed whether the reputation of Parisians being impolite and cold towards tourists was more myth than reality. 

The view from La Rue: Do tourists in Paris find Parisians rude?

by Anna-Sarah Eriksson