Rendez-vous en France 2014
In conversation with Catherine Oden, Director, Atout France, India, finds out more about how France is promoting itself in the Indian sub-continent, what it’s plans are, and the varied options it serves up for the burgeoning Indian outbound tourism market
How many exhibitors and agents participated in ‘Rendez-vous en France 2014’?
The 9th edition of the workshop, Rendez-vous en France, welcomed 850 buyers and 660 global sellers. India was represented by a delegation of 19 travel agents and two journalists from B2B trade publications. Specialising in leisure holidays and corporate travel, our delegation this year comprised of agents from Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata and Ahmedabad. The fair will take place in Paris in April 2015.
How has the falling rupee made an impact on outbound tourism from India to France?
The depreciation of the Indian rupee led to a slowdown in outbound travel in the second half of the year. Travellers were not cancelling their plans, but postponing their journeys to a later date. For France, we noticed that short-stay holidays increased as well as a preference for budget-friendly options. The depreciating rupee did not greatly affect the travel plans of those in search of luxury vacations.
How many visitors did you receive from India in 2013?
In 2013, we estimate approximately 3,00,000 Indians to have visited France. Most of our visitors belong to metropolitan cities such as Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore with an increasing number of traffic from Tier- II and Tier- III cities such as Ahmedabad, Chennai, Hyderabad, Cochin, Pune and others.
The percentage split between leisure, business and VFR for France would be Leisure: 75, Business: 20 and VFR: 5.
How has ‘Be there Do that’ taken off in India? What is your strategy to promote France this year?
We believe that ‘Be There! Do That!’ has been favourably accepted in India. This very fluid slogan encompasses a broad range of experiential activities in France. In addition to focussing on FITs, families, honeymooners, DINKS and corporates, we would also like to focus on youth travellers. We will also work in collaboration with Switzerland Tourism. Over the last 5 years, we have witnessed a gradual shift from escorted holidays to independent customised holidays. So we have presented options such as self-drive holidays, wine trails, family holidays, and options for honeymooners.
What is your target to add more agents for next year, and any new incentives that you are offering to the travel trade?
Our annual workshops in New Delhi and Mumbai allow us and our visiting French partners to connect with key players in these cities. Many of our travel agency partners approach us for assistance in itinerary planning. The online training platform has helped us
In addition to focussing
on FITs, families, honeymooners, DINKS
and corporates, we would also like to focus
on youth travellers
effectively broaden our reach. The training is still in progress, and so far we have had around 850 participants who have registered for the training.
What are the trends you are seeing for Indian outbound tourism?
The outlook for 2014 is largely positive, but we believe that prevailing economic conditions and the ongoing general elections will, to some extent, determine Indian outbound travel trends. The temporary suspension of biometrics for all French visa applications should positively enhance the positioning of France as a leisure and corporate destination. We believe that demand for experiential travel will increase as our Indian visitors would now like
2014 will be the centenary year of World War I. France offers its visitors a chance to relive the events of this war which shaped the world's history all through 2014 and some part of 2015. The Indian Army was a significant contributor to the efforts of Allied forces. Indian memorial sites can be found in the Nord Pas de Calais Region in France. An Indian memorial site has been erected at Neuve-ChapelleRichebourg, paying homage to the role of the Indian soldiers who fought in the Crete d'Aubers Battle that took place in March 1915. There is also an Indian and Chinese cemetery in Ayette in the same region.