How opinions change. In 2003, France was terra non grata in parts of USA because of then-President Jacques Chirac’s vociferous and determined opposition to the invasion of Iraq by George W Bush’s ‘Coalition of the Willing’. 

French fries were even renamed ‘Freedom Fries’ in some places, such was the righteous US anger at France’s position.

Now, however, according to an Ifop poll for US Francophile travel site Bonjour New York, the image of France and the French has transformed. A total 73 percent of US citizens have a good opinion of the country and its people, up from just 39 percent in 2007, four years after the political stand-off over the invasion of Iraq. 

And, of those Americans who have a ‘very good’ impression of the French, 47 percent have watched Emily in Paris, compared to 17 percent who have not.

Among fans, 86 percent have a good opinion of the show’s city chic location.

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More than one in three – 36 percent – of those surveyed said that they would be happy to live in France, compared to just over one in five (21 percent) in 2005.

If you’re among those who dreams of moving to France, head to our Moving to France section for more practical information, and the Americans in France section for information specifically tailored to US citizens. Members of The Local can also sign up HERE to our monthly Americans in France newsletter, giving you all the latest need-to-know information. 

However only 28 percent of working-age Americans (18 to 65) would move to France for work.

A total three-quarters (75 percent) of Americans would like to spend a short stay in Paris, the prospect of following in Emily’s footsteps by spending a year there also attracts nearly half (44 percent), especially among the younger age group, notably progressive urbanites.

While many who live in France – Paris in particular – may scoff at the Netflix show’s sanitised image of the capital, US people consider its portrayal of the city as accurate, with 83 percent of those polled saying it offers a realistic view.

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And 67 percent of Americans consider Paris to be a ‘clean city’, compared to just 16 percent of Parisians, according to the survey.

But the poll’s authors pointed out that France’s image among Americans was improving before Emily in Paris hit the streaming service, and that cine-tourism – travel influenced by films or TV shows – is not a uniquely French thing: in 2019, some 80 million travellers chose their destinations because of films and series they had seen.

Beyond the Ifop poll, according to the 2023 Barnes City Index Ultra High-Net-Worth Individuals, the French capital has risen four places to the top of the list of the most sought-after cities for the very wealthy this year. And according to the British real estate agency “GetAgent”, searches for removals in Paris increased 1,416 percent after the release of the last season of Emily in Paris. 

Finally, according to the tourist board, visitor numbers to France were up significantly in 2022, with Greater Paris welcoming 7.2 million foreign visitors between January and the end of May.