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provence alpes côte d azur recent years have seen improvements and the development of 2 new container terminals in fos give cause for optimism since 2000 the cruise industry has grown by an amazing 166 and the number of cruise passengers visiting the city is set to pass the million mark by 2011 marseille and its surrounding region is now well and truly on the map as a tourist destination and the number of tourists is increasing in the city itself its hotels enjoy a 73 occupancy rate 6 points higher than the rest of the region and it is working hard to become a major euro-mediterranean destination by improving its customerfriendly image and focusing on long-term sustainable tourism longchamps palace in marseille france provence airport in 2006 and the birth of a new business district as part of the massive euroméditerranée urban regeneration project have all contributed to a new and improved image of marseille add to that the dynamism of aix-en-provence the blossoming of businesses around aubagne and the consolidation of the microelectronics pole in rousset and the business image improves even more all this in incomparably beautiful surroundings with a rich and diverse cultural life offering everything from mediterranean fiestas to opera festivals hardly surprising perhaps that marseille provence enjoys good relations between its different ethnic communities and is cited throughout europe as an example of multicultural integration the talent and the technology strengths of the area have been recognized by the government through the award of business cluster labels to several sectors of activity including the secure it communications sector in the aix-marseille-aubagne triangle this will help consolidate and finance the activities of the major private groups st microelectronics atmel gemplus france telecom the universities and the research laboratories atmel and gemplus are examples of american-owned companies which have recognized the attractions of the area and the relative ease with which qualified staff can be recruited to work there and bring their families with them the quality of life is one factor which has contributed to the decision to develop the iter nuclear energy research plant just twenty miles from aix-en-provence highly qualified foreign staff will pour into the area in the coming years many of them english for american tourists the provence alpes speaking chambers of commerce and côte d azur region is the second most foreign consulates are keenly aware of this visited after paris 374,000 american visiand encourage the development of orga tors came to the region in 2007 of whom nizations which can help facilitate these one third came to provence on average changes the mediterranean they spend 1500e per american business network person during their stay for american mabn which has signed and 75 of them are tourists the provence a cooperation agreement repeaters coming back alpes côte d azur with to an area they appreciate france is such region is the second for its culture gastronomy a body organizing confermost visited after and quality of life ences and business/cultural paris 37,000 gatherings in the marseille american visitors although marseille cannot and aix-en-provence area came to the region boast of a guggenheim and generally facilitating the in 2007 museum like bilbao aixintegration of expatriates en-provence welcomed the us consulate general in marseille estimates that there are around 440,000 visitors to its cezanne centenary 26,000 americans in the region and exhibition in 2006 aix has for a long mabn figures indicate that there are over time enjoyed a reputation as a cultural center with its world-renowned opera 300 american-owned companies festival whereas marseille has been the working neighbor although blessed with a locally popular opera house but assets mediterranean the times are changing and today cruises tourism marseille can boast successful theaters marseille provence should never forget that a national ballet company and a it owes its reputation to the mediterranean successful arts center and museum in and that its future will continue to depend the vieille charité no surprise then in part at least on the sea the port s that marseille provence should become activities are not what they once were but the european capital of culture for marseille remains a major european port 2013 the next big news will be that although classed in the second division in marseille provence has entered the top the datar study its principal weakness lies 20 european metropolitan areas in container traffic having failed to keep up with the changes of the last 20 years richard bower its market share in the mediterranean has tourism r&d unit manager marseille slumped from 30 to 12 however provence chamber of commerce commerce in france winter 2008 3

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