The Pompidou Center in Paris ranks as...

The Pompidou Center in Paris ranks as that nation’s top draw, attracting more than 8 million visitors in 1988, according to the French Government Tourist Office. The center contains, among other things, the National Museum of Modern Art. Ranked second with 4.5 million visitors was the Eiffel Tower, just ahead of the City of Science and Industry at La Vilette. Versailles was fourth and the Louvre fifth.

Outside Paris, France’s most popular attractions were the 16th-Century Chateau de Chenonceaux in the Loire Valley and Mont St. Michel in Normandy.

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Kenyan President Daniel Moi has warned that “loiterers” in the country’s national parks risk being shot on sight--a warning to bandits who have killed several foreign tourists in remote areas this year.

“We are a peaceful country and we are committed to maintaining the peace so that tourists coming to our country can feel protected,” Moi said in ordering stepped-up security operations against the bandits.

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The Greater Los Angeles Zoo Assn. (GLAZA) will conduct a weekend outing at Sequoia National Park, Saturday through Monday, Oct. 7-9. The $95 cost includes guided hikes through the park, meals and optional tent accommodations at Lodgepole campground. For more information, contact GLAZA Mini-Tours, 5333 Zoo Drive, Los Angeles 90027, (213) 664-1100.

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The U.S.-China Peoples Friendship Assn. is sponsoring a discussion on the current situation in the People’s Republic of China on Sept. 27 at 7:30 p.m. in the Mercury Savings and Loan Community Room, 10435 Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles. Guest speakers will be three recent visitors to China: Claire Hirsch, Eleanor Philips and Tong Boming. Admission is free. For more information, call (213) 654-1161.

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Log-sawing competitions, stein-holding contests and authentic German cuisine and music will be featured at Mammoth Lakes’ eighth-annual Oktoberfest celebration, Sept. 21-23 at Mammoth Mountain’s Chair 15. For additional information, call the Mammoth Lakes Resort Assn. toll-free at (800) 367-6572.

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New York City’s Metropolitan Museum of Art has announced new evening hours that include Friday and Saturday. Starting Oct. 1 the museum, at 82nd Street and Fifth Avenue, will be open until 8:45 p.m. on those two nights, but will close at 5:15 p.m. the rest of the week. The museum is closed on Mondays.

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The Montrealer, Amtrak’s daily Washington-Montreal train, is back in service after a suspension of more than two years caused by deteriorated track along the route through New England. The train, which features Le Pub, a specially designed lounge car with food, beverages and live music, leaves Washington at 4:20 p.m. daily and arrives in Montreal at 10:45 a.m. the next day. The return trip departs Montreal at 5:10 p.m. and reaches Washington at 11:39 a.m. the following day.

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Honeycomb House in Stanford, Calif., architect Frank Lloyd Wright’s first work in the San Francisco area, has been designated a National Historic Landmark. Considered the first and best example of his hexagonal design, the house, fully furnished with Wright-era pieces, is the property of Stanford University.

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In an effort to preserve the environment, especially within its national parks and reserves, the government of Botswana has dramatically raised user fees for unescorted visitors to the parks. The per-person fees have increased from $1.50 a day to $25, plus $10 a night for camp fees and a $5-per-day vehicle charge.

The move is an attempt to encourage travelers to take tours that use established campgrounds and lodges, and to discourage the independent travelers--mostly from neighboring South Africa. Those on escorted tours using a licensed operator will be charged a flat $15 a day.

The Botswana government believes unescorted travelers to such regions as the Okavango Delta and Kalahari Desert are far less responsible to the environment than tourists who are under the supervision of a trained guide or park ranger.

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Swissair will begin thrice-weekly service from Los Angeles to Zurich on Nov. 1. The nonstop flights will leave Los Angeles on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays at 9:20 p.m., arriving in Zurich at 5:20 p.m. the next day. Return flights will leave at 12:50 p.m., stop briefly in Geneva, and arrive in Los Angeles at 5:10 p.m. the same day.

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The Smithsonian Institution is offering two seminars on Southwestern culture, Oct. 10-15 in Santa Fe, N.M. “Art in the Southwest” will survey the area’s rich tradition of Native American, Hispanic and Anglo artists, while “The Story of the Southwest” will trace the cultures of the region from prehistoric times to the present.

Lectures by Smithsonian scholars and guest experts will be supplemented by visits to art collections and/or archeological sites. The seminars will be held at the Eldorado Hotel in Santa Fe. For more information, write to Smithsonian Associates Travel Program, 1100 Jefferson Drive S.W., Room 3045, Washington, D.C. 20560, or call (202) 357-4700.

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American Youth Hostels’ Los Angeles Council will present a workshop on budget travel to and within Europe on Saturday at noon at the AYH Travel Centre, 335 W. 7th St., San Pedro. A $3 donation is requested for the seminar, which lasts about two hours. For more information, call (213) 831-8848.