Atout France – France Tourism Development Agency recently organised its annual workshop, Rendez-vous en France in New Delhi and Mumbai. A delegation comprising of representatives from 23 French companies visited both cities for interactions with the travel trade fraternity and the press.
Delegates this year included representatives from Air France, Rail Europe, the Paris Convention and Visitors Bureau, Euroscope Paris (sightseeing tour operator), Accor Hotels, Fraser Suites, Bateaux-Mouches (cruises on the Seine in Paris), Cesar Palace Paris (cabaret), Disneyland Paris, Compagnie des Alpes (Parc Astérix, Futuroscope, Grévin), Deauville Tourism, Lisieux – Tourism and Spirituality in France, La Baule Tourist Office, Champagne-Ardenne Tourism, Dijon Tourist Office, Rhone Alpes Tourism, Chamonix Mont-Blanc Tourist Board, Mondoramas Incoming (DMC), Nice Convention and Visitors Bureau, Riviera of Your Dreams – Cannes and Saint-Tropez, Pont du Gard – World Heritage, Midi-Pyrenees Tourist Board and Tourist Board of Lourdes.
The workshop format consisted of full-day workshops in the both cities enabling visiting delegates to interact with Indian travel professionals. As part of ongoing initiatives to boost tourism synergies between India and France, the Ambassador of France to India François Richier organised a soiree at The Residence of France in New Delhi.
A screening of the very special Hollywood movie, “The Hundred-Foot Journey” shot on location in the Midi- Pyrenees region was also organised by Atout France, Reliance Entertainment and Alliance Française de Delhi for the members of the delegation, guests of the Alliance Française and invited journalists of the French Embassy. While in Mumbai, a celebratory soiree was organised by Atout France, Air France, Reliance Entertainment and Midi-Pyrenees Tourist Board around the promotion of “The Hundred-Foot Journey”.
Commenting on the week that was Oden said, “We are very happy with the response our workshop received in both cities and we are encouraged to believe that 2015 will be a promising year for France. On a personal note, I was very moved and humbled with the Insignia of the Chevalier de l’Ordre National de la Legion d’Honneur bestowed on me. It is indeed an honour to receive this distinction from the hands of our French Ambassador and this has only inspired me to work that much harder towards the promotion of France and motivate many more of our Indian guests to enjoy a “Be There! Do That!” French rendezvous”.
