Direction générale du tourisme (sold)
Direction générale du tourisme (1927 - 1965) was an office within the Ministère des travaux publics, des transports et du tourisme tasked with promoting France to potential foreign tourists, an important part of France's postwar economic recovery. Originally named the Commissariat général au tourisme, its name was changed to the Direction générale in 1948 before changing back to its original name in 1959. France's tourist promotion bureaucracy has undergone several reorganizations, eventually falling under the Ministère du Commerce, de l'Artisanat et du Tourisme, now simply named the Ministère du Commerce.
Postwar tourist map.
A memorable c. 1954 tourist map of France, published by the government's Direction Générale du Tourisme, highlighting the location of chateaux, castles, ruins, and other historic buildings. Intended for English-speaking tourists, it reflects the French efforts to boost tourism, today a major contributor to the economy. (more details)