ATOUT France, the tourist development agency for France, is looking to attract more high-end travellers from the GCC by creating increased awareness about the country’s myriad attractions.
2009 was a very difficult year for tourism in France. The country saw a drop in global arrival figures from 81 million in 2008 to 74 million. Arrival numbers have gained momentum in 2010, since the tourism authority’s decision to target high-end travellers, which includes the Middle East market.
Summer 2010 has been especially strong with hotel activities reporting an excellent 68 per cent growth in comparison to summer 2009.
According to Karim Mekachera, director of Atout France, Near and Middle East regional office: “The GCC and Near East continue to remain strong markets and so our partners in France are continuously looking at new ways to attract more and more Arab travellers. Only recently, the famous Musée Grevin, built on the model of Madame Tussauds in London, has announced plans to include more Arab celebrities to its collection, which goes to show its commitment to the Arab guests.
 |
|
Mekachera...targeting high-end travellers |
“In mature markets like the GCC, our strategy is long-term and we want to create awareness about the immense tourist potential of France and its new destinations in Rhone Alps, Bordeaux and Evian.”
In newer markets like Egypt and Lebanon, the tourism board will continue to push high-end traditional destinations such as Paris and the French Riviera.
Currently France welcomes more than 700,000 guests from the Middle East region and Mekachera stressed on the importance of increasing not just arrival numbers but, with their liberal spending habits, encouraging visitors to stay longer.
Atout France announced earlier this year its 2020 tourism strategy with strong focus on five key markets – Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the UAE, Egypt and Lebanon. “These destinations figure on our priority list, but that does not mean that markets like Doha or Damascus are any less important,” added Mekachera. Saudi Arabia and the UAE have so far been the two key source markets from the region.
France is still very much a leisure destination for high-end clientele. Its luxury hotels and designer shopping have made it a natural choice for many affluent Arab travellers. However, Mekachera sees a changing trend with guests looking to add cultural and family-oriented experiences to their travel in France. “The opening of the Louvre and Guggenheim museums in the UAE is a clear indication of the growing Arab cultural interests,” he added.
“Our priority is to promote France as a destination and thereafter the various experiences for the special-interest tour groups as the country offers various aspects such as gastronomy, culture, education and so on.
“We are in the process of rolling out a series of meaningful promotional activities to highlight the charm and diversity of France.”