Paris beyond the Eiffel Tower

As Paris gets ready to host the upcoming Olympic and Paralympic Games this year, it is hoping to create a buzz in India too, not only for the games but also for showcasing that there is a lot more to see and experience in the city than the Eiffel Tower. Paris Region, led by its President Valérie Pécresse, met key tour operators in Mumbai to discuss this.

Hazel Jain

As part of her visit to India this month, Valérie Pécresse, President, Paris Region, met key tour operators in Mumbai to promote the new tourist attractions of the destination beyond Eiffel Tower. She was accompanied by Alexandra Dublanche, Chairwoman of Choose Paris Region, the Paris Region attractiveness agency. The Paris Region has been preparing to host the first Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Speaking about the purpose of her visit, Pécresse said, “Indians love Paris. We really want now to make a Charm offensive, to win the hearts and minds of Indian travellers. This is the purpose of our visit. We are here to discover the India market and understand it.” She visited three Indian cities of Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru. She also met with key fashion designers, and film producers and directors. They will open a bureau in Mumbai, which will be one of the three worldwide.

She discussed what Indian tourists want to see and do in Paris and the challenges they faced. “The tour operators shared a lot of points with us. For example, Paris did not have enough vegan and vegetarian food options. I reassured them that this will be resolved as veganism is a growing trend in France. We also discussed Indian weddings in Paris,” she said.

Touching upon Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Wed in India’ call, she joked that she hopes Paris will be an exception!  “We have already seen a few celebrity weddings in France. Paris has beautiful venues, whether for weddings or special occasions like anniversaries, diploma ceremonies, and engagement parties. So leisure, weddings, and bleisure are key target segments for Paris. The aim is to encourage Indian visitors to discover destinations and attractions in Paris they have not already experienced – showcase Paris beyond the Eiffel Tower – since the city receives many repeat visitors,” Pécresse adds. She said France is also working on improving English language, making special English courses at a Master’s Degree level.

Sheetal Munshaw, Director India, Atout France, said, “There is a renewed focus of Paris Region on India, and the fact that they will have a presence in Mumbai goes to show their commitment to the Indian market. Paris is the gateway for Indian visitors into France and the focus now is to discover different facets of Paris, showcase different areas of the city, including Notre-Dame, which will reopen this year. The message is that Paris is so much more than what is already known.”