French presidential visit
ATOUT France has scored a major coup in showcasing French culture within Australia, having secured a role in an upcoming visit by French President Emmanuel Macron.
The organisation’s Australian director Patrick Benhamou has been asked to officiate a meeting between President Macron and leading Australian and French chefs in Sydney in May.
On day two of the Rendez-vous en France trade show in Paris, Benhamou told Travel Daily that he considered it a once-in- a-lifetime honour to welcome the French President to discuss French cuisine.
It’s understood Macron wants to canvass French gastronomy’s ongoing influence and enduring popularity in Australia.
Among invitees are top Australian-based French chefs Philip Mouchel, Gabriel Gate and Guillaume Brahimi.
Macron, on a 24-hour trip during which he is due to meet with Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, has also requested apprentices and leading Australian chefs including Neil Perry attend a one-hour panel discussion on 02 May.
As Rendez-vous en France concluded last night, the city of Marseille expressed its excitement at being chosen to host the trade expo next year
THIS year’s Rendez-vous en France has concluded in Paris, with the southern city of Marseille now gearing up to host the trade expo next year.
The president of Provence Tourism, Danielle Milon, told
TD the organisation appreciated there was increasing competition from other destinations and that it was a great opportunity for the region of Provence.
“Rendez-vous en France is an event of such scale that it will enable people to discover the region and create awareness while stimulating the tourism economy,” she said.
In the meantime, Atout France is aiming to maintain the momentum in Australia, planning two major events later this year.
The organisation’s Australian director Patrick Benhamou is putting the finishing touches on plans for two soirees in Sydney and Melbourne in Sep, to be held in partnership with the famous Roland Garros French Open tennis tournament.
The tennis-themed “Soiree Roland Garros” will feature cuisine by renowned French chef Alain Ducasse with paired fine French wines.
A Lacoste fashion parade and an exhilarating Moulin Rouge finale are also planned for the night.
As Rendez-vous en France wrapped up in Paris last night, attendees took part in a series of activities including a shopping extravaganza at the Galeries Lafayette department store.
Pictured at the famous store are (top row) Stuart McGregor of Flight Centre, Boris Marusic of Scenic, Trevor Jones from France Vacations, Sarah Elfassy of Atout France and Vicko Bacic of Scenic, and (bottom row) Marc Pilcer from France Tourism, Cher Lontok of APT Touring and Mark Cocks of Albatross Tours.