Tertiary Economic Activities

70% of the workforce work in the tertiary sector. Two parts of this sector include tourism and transport. The sector is well-developed due to the status of Paris as a core region.

Tourism

• Paris, a modern city with a long tradition of tourism, offers highly developed infrastructure to accommodate a large number of visitors.
• The city's modern transport links make it easily accessible both nationally and internationally, enhancing its appeal to tourists.
• Paris boasts a variety of cultural attractions, including famous buildings, museums, and galleries such as the Louvre and Notre Dame Cathedral, attracting millions of visitors annually. The Eiffel Tower, one of the most iconic landmarks, draws around 9 million tourists each year.
• Historical sites like Reims Cathedral and the Palace of Versailles further boost tourism, offering unique historical and architectural experiences.
• Various French presidents have transformed Paris with projects like the Pompidou Centre and the glass pyramid at the Louvre, enhancing the city's cultural landscape.
• Theme parks such as Disneyland Paris and Parc Asterix, located near Paris, attract millions of tourists each year, contributing to the region's year-round tourist destination status.
• Paris's world-famous shopping streets, including the Champs-Elysées, and luxury brands like Chanel contribute significantly to its appeal as a shopping destination.
• Normandy, near Paris, also has historical importance with WWII allied landings and numerous Norman castles, enriching the regional tourism offerings.
• Paris hosts around 13 million tourists a year, driven by its religious sites, historical landmarks, and modern attractions.

The Eiffel Tower is seen by millions of tourists each year

Transport

• Paris features a radial transport network, with routes radiating out from the capital, making it a central hub for national and international travel.
• The TGV (Train à Grande Vitesse) is a prime example of efficient transport, with trains reaching speeds up to 300 km/h, connecting Paris to other European cities like London and Brussels.
• The Paris Metro carries millions of passengers per day. The RER train system connects the city with outer suburbs such as Marne-la-Vallée.
• Paris's two major international airports, Charles de Gaulle and Orly, serve as key global transport hubs, facilitating easy access for millions of passengers annually.
• The Boulevard Périphérique, a ring road around central Paris, helps prevent traffic congestion by redirecting cars away from the city's core.
• Canals and the River Seine are used for transporting goods and tourism, helping to reduce road congestion.
• Park and ride facilities, alongside well-connected roads and public transport, support efficient commuting for the city's daily commuters.
• Buses, taxis, and river taxis on the Seine further diversify the transport options available to both residents and tourists in Paris.
• Paris has invested in modernising its transport facilities, making it cheaper and easier to maintain and upgrade the network due to the region's low-lying nature. The "Grand Paris Express" is one of the largest metro expansions in Europe and is scheduled to be completed by 2030.

*TGV trains connect Paris with French cities like Lyon, Lille and Marsailles along with European cities like Frankfurt, London and Brussels. *

Population Dynamics

Paris has a large and diverse population. Migration has impacted the population dynamics of the region greatly.

• The population of the Paris Basin has doubled since 1921, reaching 21 million people, driven by a high birth rate and increased inward migration.
• Paris Basin is attractive for the economically active age group (19-64), which makes up 30% of the population, contributing to its expansion.
• Due to increased inward migration, the population of the Paris Basin is growing by 0.8% annually, adding to the region's dynamic growth.
• The French population is nearing the senile stage (Stage 5) of the demographic transition model, with low birth and death rates leading to a natural decrease in population.
• France's birth rate is currently below the replacement level of 2.1 babies per mother, standing at 1.9 babies per mother, necessitating government intervention to boost birth rates.
• To address the low birth rate, the French government offers incentives such as 170 weeks of parental leave, subsidised crèches and preschools, and €750 per month for mothers who take a year off work to have their third child.
• The Paris Basin is the most popular region in France for migrants, with 40% (1.3 million) of all migrants living here, including a significant number from French colonies in Africa, Spain, and Portugal.
• The region's status as a melting pot has been reinforced since WWII, with diverse immigrant communities contributing to its cultural and economic landscape.
• Issues such as the rapid development of ghettos and racial discrimination have arisen due to the high levels of migration, particularly affecting North African and Muslim populations.
• The population dynamics in the Paris Basin reflect broader national trends, including the social and economic contributions of migrants, as evidenced by the success of immigrant descendants in areas such as sports and culture.