France's tourism sector worried about impact of riots

PARIS — The images of France's riots posted and broadcast around the world have cast a pall on the country's important tourism sector, with many fearing worse consequences if violence returns. "The surge of violence in the centers of Nice, Paris, Lyon — it's catastrophic," said Christelle Cassagne, head of the ADN Tourisme body covering the country's tourism institutions. "When you book a hotel for a week, it's not so you stay stuck in the hotel," she said. The scenes of clashes with police, public buildings on fire, shops being looted and masked young men roaming the streets have, since last weekend, shocked and fascinated news audiences internationally. The violence has usurped the usual curated footage of genteel cafes favored by influencers, who have suddenly taken to asking "Is Paris safe?" — many using AI on thumbnails or even in their videos to boost click-through rates. Even in Paris, some tourists who had front-row seats to the convulsion on the streets are looking for the exit. And others coming in were hesitant. "Honestly, we were not certain that we'd keep our stay," an I