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Their city is the world's No. 1 tourist destination, yet Parisians sometimes seem downright grumpy about it.

On Monday, city officials set out to change that, urging cab drivers to smile and telling waiters to try out their English.

As Mayor Bertrand Delanoe launched the first Paris Tourist Day on the sprawling Trocadero Plaza across the Seine from the Eiffel Tower, the response from passersby was predictable: Parisians said their rude reputation was exaggerated. Visitors disagreed.

Paul Roll, director of the Paris Tourism Office, conceded that the French capital has a "rather unfriendly" image but defended his compatriots.

"French citizens are shy when they need to speak in a foreign language. They have a very strong accent, which makes it difficult to understand," he said.

He said the campaign was aimed at making Parisians understand how important tourists are to their city's economy and to help them improve their habits when dealing with foreigners. Tourism accounts for 12% of jobs in Paris, Roll said.

"To be frank," Brazilian tourist Joana D'Arc de Almeida said, "I think Paris needs to learn a lot about how to deal with tourists, because that's what brings money to the city. It looks like they have so much money from it already that they don't care about people anymore."

But tour guide Nicole Rimbaud insisted her fellow Parisians' "habits are really changing."

"If [visitors] make an effort and try to explain to Parisians that they don't speak French instead of speaking English right away, [French] people can be very warm, actually," she said.

Cab driver Mustafah Hammoum welcomed the friendliness campaign — but said in general his colleagues are "quite nice."

"We do our best," he said.

Bystanders at the Trocadero event were offered Parisian water, orange juice and brochures with a "Charter for the Parisian and Visitor."

"I will take the time to give information to visitors. I will make use of my foreign language skills to reply to them in their language," read one item of advice to Parisians.

To tourists, the brochure suggested, "I will experience the Parisian lifestyle" and "I will take advantage of my stay to try French products."

It's not the first time the city has sought to clean up its manners, nor the last. Although Monday's event was a one-day affair, city officials are also offering long-term friendliness projects.

"Ambassadors of Welcome" kiosks went up for the summer in five strategic tourist sites, such as near Notre Dame Cathedral and Place de la Bastille.

In any case, Roll notes, despite tourists' fears of surly Parisian service, when they get here they usually change their minds. He said 97% of those who visit say they want to come back.

Paris saw 15.3 million visitors in 2006 from foreign countries and elsewhere in France, according to the Paris region tourist bureau.