There is no doubt that one of the most enjoyable parts of any French holiday is sitting in a traditional bar, sipping a coffee and soaking up the unique ambiance.

Indeed, France’s café culture has long been a major draw for visiting tourists. However, a report by RFI suggests that many of the country’s traditional café-bistros are struggling to make ends meet and may be forced to close.

According to the RFI report, the number of cafés in France has fallen from 200,000 in 1960 to fewer than 41,000. The situation is particularly difficult for rural cafés, which rely on regular visitors and tourists for their income.

Cafés have been hard-hit by the economic downturn. Not even Paris has escaped the damage, with more than 2,000 of the capital’s cafés closing down in 2009 alone.

While the financial crisis has played a major role, experts have also laid much of the blame on the smoking ban, as well as tougher measures against underage drinking and drink-driving.

However, industry expert Laurent Lutse believes that many cafés are closing purely because they have failed to move with the times and are unable to offer a service to suit modern-day standards.

“Many [traditional cafés] were obsolete anyway and not up to the standard. You have to provide something else, invent a new concept,” RFI quoted Mr Lutse as saying.

The good news for regular visitors to France, though, is that café owners will be upping their efforts over the coming years as they look to improve their service and win back customers from modern chains. Expect more comfortable seating, friendlier service and wider access to wi-fi connections.

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2. Foreign visitors make it a “satisfying” summer for French tourism industry
3. Driving on a French Holiday
4. Travel for French Holidays returns to normal
5. France is the second most popular destination for British tourists

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