Beyond Paris: Atout France spotlights country's untapped cultural treasures

France has more than 40,000 monuments and protected sites, 38 cultural sites classified by UNESCO, 8,000 museums, and nearly 500 festivals.

“It’s hard for any travel agent to just point out to clients which one would be the best,” Melanie Paul-Hus, director for Canada at Atout France, told PAX in Toronto yesterday (Oct 4).

That was the starting point for France’s tourism development agency to launch a mini road-show in Canada devoted to highlighting some of France’s untapped cultural treasures. 

The France Culture Tour, which made stops in Montreal, Ottawa and then concluded, yesterday, at Toronto’s historic Gladstone Hotel, centered around France’s rich culture and equip Canadian travel agents and tour operators with the latest selling tools and industry contacts.

More specifically, the workshop was devised to inspire Canada’s travel community with a message – there’s more to France than just Paris.

“Not because we don’t like Paris,” Paul-Hus told PAX at the event, which attracted close to two dozen attendees. “Most people will stay a couple of days in Paris, but we want to broaden their horizons and visit all of France. Culture is everywhere in every region.”

FRANCE IS A PLACE TO BE CURIOUS

According to Paul-Hus, culture is one of the strongest selling points for France due to the number of high-quality products available.

“Why not visit that building that just turned into a hotel that was a jail in the past? There’s no reason not to be curious about other spots,” Paul-Hus told PAX.

Of the 51 cultural sites in Atout France’s network, five were in attendance at yesterday’s workshop to give presentations:

• Tourisme Troyes – La Champagne. Troyes, located 160 kilometers south-east of Paris, is known for its beautiful colourful houses with wooden sides, factory outlets, medieval history and architecture and, notably, for being close to the Champagne vineyard (where 23 per cent of the world’s production is cultivated).

• Château d”Amboise. Located in the Indre-et-Loire département of the Loire Valley in France, the site was a residence for French kings from the 15th to the 19th centuries. Numerous literary figures and artists were invited here, including Leonardo da Vinci, whose tomb is preserved here.

• Château de Chenonceau. One of the best-known châteauxs of the Loire valley, this château spans the River Cher, near the small village of Chenonceaux.

• Château du Clos Lucé. A large château in the city of Amboise, France, this site is famous for being the official residence of Leonardo da Vinci between 1516 and 1519, when Leonardo died. Clos Lucé features a Leonardo da Vinci museum that includes models of the various machines he designed

• Royal Abbey of Our Lady of Fontevraud. A monastery in the village of Fontevraud-l'Abbaye, near Chinon, in Anjou, France. The complex of monastic buildings was a prison from 1804 to 1963. Today, it’s a cultural centre, the Centre Culturel de l'Ouest.

Also present was a representative from the Centre des Monuments nationaux, which conserves, restores, and manages historic buildings and sites that belong to the French state. The centre’s website is an excellent resource for discovering France’s historical monuments and sites.

TOURIST SPENDING IS UP

Atout France estimates that 1,123,000 Canadians visited France in 2016, with Paul-Hus noting that national figures for spending by travellers is up considerably.

France’s connectivity to Canada is also growing, as seen by Air Canada’s introduction of a new seasonal Montreal-Bordeaux service between June 15th and Sept. 15th, 2019, announced earlier this week.

France will also be buzzing with events and exhibits next year to mark the 500^th anniversary of Leonardo da Vinci's death, as well as celebrations around France’s cultural and artistic Renaissance moment.

VALUABLE RESOURCES FOR AGENTS

Need insiders to give you first-hand knowledge about France? Contact EluxFrance. More than a DMC, it’s a “community of well-travelled and discerning Frenchmen with amazing first-hand experiences and knowledge to share.” 

TravelBrands’ Tanya States pointed out that the company’s add-ons for France have “more products than ever,” from transfers, private and shared, tours, museums, nightlife and shopping. 

Connaissance Travel and Tours and Renaissance Vacations, a Canadian company, offers comprehensive, fully-escorted tours with English-speaking guides, fewer “drivebys,” and pilgrimages. 

Agents are encouraged to reference the France Culture Sales Manual, which can be viewed here. 

For more info, visit atout-france.fr.