TravTalk India Online Magazine
At the third edition of their annual B2B showcase – Experience France – Sheetal Munshaw, Director, Atout France in India, said that tourist arrivals from India to France jumped from 3,65,000 in 2014 to 7,00,000 in 2018.
Hazel Jain
Having doubled the short- term visa numbers from India to France within just three years, Atout France in India is ready to rejig its strategy and up the ante. It is already seeing results from its revamped annual offsite that now brings buyers from across India under one roof rather than travelling to different cities in India with the sellers.
The third edition of its annual B2B showcase ‘Experience France’ that took place over three days at Sheraton Grand Chennai Resort & Spa, Mahabalipuram, saw the largest delegate participation from France since the inception of the tourism board in India with 36 partners who met 85 agents from different parts of India. It moved away from the regular multi-city format in order to have a pan-India approach.
Sheetal Munshaw, Director, Atout France in India, says, “We have been doing multi-city roadshow formats for some time which worked at the time. But we passed a point where we could no longer work with two or three cities and we needed a pan-India approach and this was the best way to do it. So for Experience France, we bring agents from different parts of India to meet our delegates. We have agents from Mumbai, New Delhi, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Chennai, Pune, Ahmedabad, Chandigarh, Jaipur and even Lucknow.” The B2B showcase was graced by the presence of Mme Catherine Suard, Consul General of France in Puducherry.
We have agents from Mumbai, New Delhi, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Chennai, Pune, Ahmedabad, Chandigarh, Jaipur and even Lucknow.
Munshaw claims that while 2014 saw 3,65,000 short visas being issued, this number jumped to 7,00,000 in 2018. This indicates a double-digit growth in numbers, year-on-year, in the last three years. France has seen a 44 per cent increase in short-term (tourist) visas in Chennai alone in 2018- 2019. She also adds that the aim for 2020 is to reach one million visitors but the collapse of Jet Airways and Cox & Kings PLC, might affect these numbers.
The French delegation comprised of a mix of transport companies, hoteliers, regional tourism board, local tourist offices and a strong presence from the French Alps, fortifying the tourism board’s efforts to position France as a winter destination. In addition, France’s overseas territories were also represented in the form of Reunion Island.
The NTO will continue to focus on smaller cities in India and will also tap the wedding segment more aggressively from 2020 as Munshaw feels that France is ready to cater to Indian weddings now. Atout France India will hold its annual French Ambassador’s Travel Awards 2019 on November 21, 2019 in Mumbai.
