Nouvelle-Aquitaine: France’s largest region makes case to stay longer, explore deeper

Most visitors to France have Paris at the top of their list, but for the French, the region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine is their number one destination.

A group of travel advisors, DMCs, tour operators, and media gathered at Toronto’s Gladstone House Wednesday (Nov. 19) for a spirited breakfast presentation on what the region has to offer.

It’s now the largest in France thanks to a redrawing in borders in 2016, and probably the most diverse since it stretches from the Pyrenees mountains all the way to Biarritz in the southern Basque Country region, with Bordeaux, Cognac, Limoges and over 1,001 chateaux spread throughout.

You can also sprinkle that with 56 Michelin-starred restaurants and countless vineyards across an area roughly the size of Austria.

“The region is actually close to its former borders of 1152 when Eleanor of Aquitaine ruled France and England,” Christelle Chassagne, president, Nouvelle-Aquitaine Regional Tourism Board, told PAX.

Sustainability is at the centre of the tourism board’s strategy.

“Tourism is an economy of offers and its on us to define new ones,” Chassagne said. “Our ocean coast is fragile and disappearing. But the idea isn’t to host less tourists – it’s to have them come for longer periods of time and stay in the area to reduce the carbon footprint.”

“Keeping people here is our main priority.”

Melanie Paul-Hus, director for Canada at Atout France, said Canadians are eager to discover Bordeaux red, cognac and the Pinot de Charente whites.

“We have travel habits that correspond to what the French want to promote,” she said. “The French feel good when they host Canadians and that’s visible in the region.”

Tourism by numbers

Tourism in France (and in Europe) has been going well overall in recent months – “and the trade situation in the U.S. is likely responsible,” said Paul-Hus.

“Statistics have shown a 30 per cent increase in Canadian visitors this summer. In the last quarter we are expecting a seven per cent boost in air arrivals for the region, especially with winter travel and skiing in the Pyrenees,” she said.

Nouvelle-Aquitaine welcomes more than 100,000 Canadians every year, but Paul-Hus thinks the region can do better.

It will come down to having solid flight connectivity, which the team will know soon.

“We’re building the offer. It could be Bordeaux….or another close by in the south,” Paul-Hus  said.

Local experiences

Using influencers is another tactic on order, selling the public on more than just hotels.

“We want people to live the experience, connect with locals and tell the story,” said Chassagne.

The region is rich in history and travel habits are changing, especially among Gen Z.

“Vineyards and spirit houses like Hennessy in Cognac have had to re-evaluate how they do things because we have a younger segment of visitors that don’t drink alcohol. It’s very new but more and more important,” she said. “Imagine – you can’t sell wine but you still have to tell the story of how you’re making wine.”

To do this, Henessy has built an “incredible immersive VR experience,” she said.

Bike tours with porters have also become a popular offer in the region, as well as motorcycle tours.

Acadian connections

There are a few reasons why Canadians book 40,000 nights per year in the region. Many of them are French Canadian.

“There is Acadian heritage here” Paul-Hus said. “The region was the door to America and the New World with all the harbours on the Atlantic. It’s popular with school groups and Canadians on pilgrimages to re-discover their ancestry.”

Air Transat’s direct flight from Montreal to Bordeaux, notably, has been servicing the segment for the last 20 years.

“The Quebecois stay longer than the average length of 10 days but also spend less on accommodations,” said Céline Boute, head of promotions for North America, Nouvelle-Aquitaine Regional Tourism Board.

“These are mostly individual travellers,” she said. “The rest of Canada flies into Paris and takes the high-speed train that’s roughly two hours. English-speaking Canadians spend less time in the region and will cover more of France, but they will visit more high-end hotels and activities with 4–5-star ratings. They also tend to go through intermediary travel agencies.”

Wine & spirits

Of course, the Bordeaux region is filled with picturesque wine making sites.

There’s Chateau Margaux in Médoc known for Cabernet Sauvignon and panoramic routes, and the merlots of Sainte-Émilion, the medieval UNESCO-recognized village.

But praised among true wine connoisseurs is the Sauternes region, an hour south of Bordeaux.

“They make a special sweet white wine and it’s become more and more popular,” said Boute. “Specifically, Chateau de Malle has young owners and they are very open to new visitors.  It’s a wine estate on a historic castle. “

There are also lots of lesser-known vineyards in areas like Bergerac in Dordogne that are very welcoming (and very generous) with their pours, she added.  

The Nouvelle-Aquitaine region is home to over 1,300 wineries alone.

But the region is more than just wine, spirits, truffles and foie gras.

Eight regions, more than one quarter of the region, is protected nature. Perigord is known for its famous neolithic Lascaux caves and other prehistoric sites. 

An hour from Bordeaux, or Little Paris, is the Dune du Pilat, Europe’s tallest sand dune at over 100 meters. 

The region truly has an abundance to offer — and with access to 20 TGV stations, eight airports, and Paris only a three-hour drive away, it’s hard to claim there wasn’t a convenient way of getting there.

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