Editing Loire Valley (section)

==Economy==
The European Commission reported that in 2016, three categories accounted for most of the economy in the Pays-de-la-Loire region: services (including tourism) provided 66.7% of employment, industry 26.5% and agriculture, 3.9%. The unemployment rate was 8.8%. In 2015, the region ranked eighth in France in terms of economic performance producing 5.0% of the gross domestic product. Important economic sectors included leather goods, textile, shipyard/construction and aeronautics, agriculture and food-processing as well as the [[plastics industry]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/regional-innovation-monitor/base-profile/pays-de-la-loire|date=1 November 2017|title=Pays-de-la-Loire|publisher=EC|access-date=13 April 2019|quote=Pays de la Loire is a French administrative region located in the western part of France}}</ref> The EC did not produce a report for the larger Loire Valley region.

According to another source, tourism in the Loire Valley was supported by over 700 hotels and 550 restaurants in the region. In addition to the chateaux and some 700 other listed Historic monuments, attractions included three Regional nature Parks, 550 km of cycling tracks, 800 listed Historic monuments, over 100 museums and 30 golf courses.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.my-french-house.com/regions/centre-val-de-loire|date=1 March 2018|title=French region of Loire Valley|publisher=My French House|access-date=13 April 2019}}</ref>

In April 2019, The [[The Guardian|Guardian]]'s travel section included one Loire Valley location in its list of ''20 of the most beautiful villages in France'': [[Montrésor]], "a fairytale village with a rich history" evidenced by "the wool market, the Halle de Cardeux, ... the 16th-century Logis du Chancelier, ... a riverside walk, Balcons de l’Indrois, [and] ... Jardinier Bridge".<ref>{{cite news|title=20 of the most beautiful villages in France|date=13 April 2019|url=https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2019/apr/13/20-most-beautiful-historic-villages-france-loire-provence|work=Guardian|access-date=13 April 2019|quote=From a fairytale fortress in the Loire to a clifftop stronghold in Provence, these charming, historic villages make perfect bases for exploring rural France}}</ref>

According to a 2017 report by [[CNN]], the 42 chateaux that make up the UNESCO World Heritage Site receive over 3.3 million visitors per year.<ref>{{cite web|title=CNN|url=https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/loire-valley-castles/index.html}}</ref> The Telegraph newspaper (2014) listed the following as the premiere chateaux for tourists: Chinon, Cité royale de Loches, Chaumont, Blois, Meung, Chenonceau, Rivau, Lemeré, Amboise, Clos Lucé, Chambord, Villandry and Valençay.<ref>{{cite web|title=Telegraph.co.uk|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/europe/france/pays-de-la-loire/articles/The-best-chateaux-of-the-Loire-Valley-France-travel-guide/}}</ref>