Record turnout at Atout France event

As many as 42 French tourist businesses and over 80 Indian travel industry professionals participated in the Atout France’s ‘Explore France’, a two-day B2B event conducted in Rajasthan’s Udaipur recently. More than 2,000 contracts were signed between buyers and suppliers at the event.

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Talking about the event, Sheetal Munshaw – Director, Atout France India, said, “The trade has provided excellent support ever since the borders opened. More than 80 influential members of the Indian tourism industry attended our workshop, Explore France, which further solidifies France’s status as a top choice for savvy Indian tourists.”

Change in behaviour

Patrick Allais, Senior Partnerships Business Development Manager, VR Services SNC, sees a paradigm shift in consumer behaviour. “All retailers—local and international—have had difficulties as a result of the pandemic. The trend has picked up again, we can now clearly see that revenge spending is a real thing,” he said. “We put a strong emphasis on hospitality at La Vallée Village and throughout the Collection of Villages. Our dedicated services include transportation as well as in-Village perks like access to our brand-new private lounge,” he added.

Post-COVID innovations

Munshaw further explained about how France is continually innovating and reinventing itself. “There has been a noticeable rise in the number of venues, restaurants, installations, and re-openings of notable institutions throughout France in recent years. The Luma Arles is a modern-day factory for the visual arts that is situated in the historic Roman city of Arles in South France. 11,000 sq. mt. of metal panels are installed on its spectacular 56-metre tower. The Luma Tower houses a library, a café-restaurant, exhibition areas for large events, archives, conference rooms, and a terrace with breathtaking views of this UNESCO World Heritage Site,” she said.

Mehdi Bouyahyaoui, Director, Commercial Operations, Helipass, a helicopter and jet booking platform, claimed that they deliver items to more than 750 destinations worldwide.

Preference for Indian travellers

Allais asserted that all visitor demographics and new visitor tiers would be impacted by the rapid evolution of the Indian outbound tourism business and its consumer behaviours. “The ratio continues to favour travellers who choose hotel stays in either boutique hotels, starred hotels, or even hotels that are local, despite the fact that an increasing number of Indians prefer apartment stays. Most tourists who choose apartment accommodations are those who want to remain in a city for a week or more,” he said.

Bouahyaoui feels the market is new to Helipass, thus they require an Indian agency to build the brand in India. “The demand in this sector is high, and we aim for an important activity for Indians,” he said.

Upcoming events

From 2023 to 2024, France is prepared to host three important athletic events. The marketing of these events will be the focus of communication initiatives, which, according to Munshaw, may also involve B2B partnerships. The Rugby World Cup, the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris in 2024, and the Courchevel Meribel Alpine World Ski Championship are the three biggest athletic events that France is prepared to host beginning in 2023 and continuing into 2024.