每日英语：Foreign Visits Rise Amid Europe's Downturn

It is hard to see the euro-zone crisis from the top of the Eiffel Tower these days: There are too many foreign tourists blocking the view.

downturn:衰退，下降，低迷时期　　　　Eiffel Tower：埃菲尔铁塔　　　　

While many Europeans have cut back on vacations this year, one part of the tourist economy has held up better against the region's economic slump: Foreign visitors are still flocking to many hot spots, helping to offset declines among homegrown travelers, and funneling much-needed revenue to local economies.

cut back on：减低　　　　held up：停顿，停止，支持，停车　　　　slump：暴跌　　　　flock to：成群结队地走向　　　　offset：抵消，补偿

homegrown：土生土长的，水果　　　　funnel：灌进漏斗　　　　revenue：收入，收益

Drawn in part by attractive deals and a weaker euro, visitors from faster-growing Asian and Latin American economies account for an increasing share of tourism in several European countries, according to industry and government data, helping to drive tourism growth and cushion the blow from the protracted sovereign-debt crisis.

account for：导致，引起，对..负责　　　　cushion：使免遭损害，起缓冲作用　　　　protracted：拖延的，延长的　　　

sovereign：君主，独立国，独立自主的，至高无上的　　　　　

'In Russia, the economy's good, so we can travel wherever we want,' said Fedor Zotov, a 34-year-old government worker, as he clinked a Champagne glass with friends atop the Eiffel Tower one recent afternoon.

Champagne：香槟色　　　　

The snaking, hourlong line more than 900 feet below Mr. Zotov tells a story that is being repeated across Europe. Madrid's Prado Museum said it expects to match the 'record' number of visits it had last year, as did Antoni Gaudi's architectural wonder in Barcelona, the Sagrada Familia. In Sicily, a 12% jump in hotel stays by foreign tourists in July and August helped to make up for a 5% decline among Italians.

These positive indicators contrast starkly with the economic situation across much of Europe, with many countries either stagnating or stuck in recession. Uncertainty has pushed businesses in France, Spain, Italy and Greece to cut investment and slash jobs. Rising unemployment has forced consumers to cut back on spending, deepening the cycle.

starkly：完全地，分明地　　　　stagnating：停滞，不流动，不发展　　　　slash：猛砍，批评，鞭打

As a result, many Europeans are staying put. A sharp decline in Italians vacationing drove down the country's hotel occupancy last month from August 2011 for the first time since at least the 1960s, said Federalberghi, a national association of hotels and tourist businesses.

French tourists took 10% fewer vacations in July and planned to take 4.2% fewer vacations in August than they did in August 2011, according to the latest data from the country's tourism ministry.

But foreign travelers are arriving in greater numbers than last year to many countries. A record 7.7 million international tourists hit Spain in July, up 4.4% from a year earlier, according to government data. In France, vacation nights ticked up 2.2% among foreigners, despite a 2.8% decline among French people, the tourism ministry said.

tick up：上涨　　　　

While some of those tourists are from better-off parts of Europe, many are coming from far afield. In France, hotel stays by Chinese tourists grew nearly 15% in July from a year earlier. In the Paris region alone, Brazilian and Chinese tourists accounted for 13% of overnight stays from foreign tourists in July, the French tourism ministry said.

better-off：境况较好的　　　　 afield：在野外，远离着　　　　

'For all newly rich people on the planet, it's a romantic dream to come to France,' said Didier Arino, director of Protourisme, a consulting firm for hotels and other tourist businesses.

Chinese tourists have established themselves as a major force driving the sales of luxury goods in Europe; many flock to Paris to visit high-end department stores where items like designer handbags are less expensive than they are in China.

Some of the newcomers are also picking Europe because it has become more affordable with the euro's weakness against major currencies like the dollar and yen. The dollar climbed to its strongest level in more than a year against the euro in July, while the yen hit its strongest point against the euro in more than a decade.

'I don't normally travel this far, but I decided I could afford it this year, so here I am,' said Tsubasa Asano, a 27-year-old shoe salesman from Japan, as he relaxed in a Madrid park.

To be sure, not all major tourist spots are seeing increases. Greece, one of the world's most popular tourist destinations, has seen a decline in visitors. About two million tourists visited in June, about 6% fewer than a year earlier, according to the Bank of Greece. Airport arrivals suggest the decline is worse in Athens, which has suffered from a reputation for strikes and protests during the euro crisis.

Little of that desperation can be felt at the Eiffel Tower, where strong ticket and concession sales are funding a 25 million ($32 million) renovation project to install a glass floor on its first level.

concession：特许权，让步，迁就　　　　renovation：翻新，修复，恢复活力　　　　

One reason: More than 90% of its visitors come from outside France, with Americans representing the biggest slice at 8.5%, according to an April-May survey. Brazilians are a fast-growing contingent, up to more than 5% of visitors, compared with just a sliver earlier in the decade.

contingent：代表团，偶然事件，依情况而定　　　　

'It's incredible, but last year there were more Brazilians than Germans at the Eiffel Tower,' said Nicolas Lefebvre, chief executive of the tower's operating company.

While attendance was down 15% through the end of July because of a broken elevator, August visits rebounded back to 2011's pace, bringing in roughly 820,000 visitors, Mr. Lefebvre said.

On a recent sunny day, the tower's summit was packed, with tourists squeezing through the narrow staircases to get outside, jostling to take photos. On one side, they lined up to buy 10 and 15 glasses of Champagne.

jostling：推撞，冲撞，争夺　　　　

'At the Eiffel Tower, there is no crisis,' said Fabrice Schmitt, maitre d' at the tower's Michelin-starred Jules Verne restaurant. 'We're not feeling it here.'