Vive la difference

In fact, more than 7% of Air France’s total business to Paris originates from the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Pakistan, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar and Oman, according to Crystelle Haddad, communication and marketing coordinator for Air France in the Gulf, Saudi Arabia, Iran and Pakistan.

“We offer 12 weekly flights from Dubai to Paris, and from June this year we will be offering a total of 11 weekly flights from KSA, seven from Riyadh and four from Jeddah, as well as five weekly flights from Iran,” she says.

But relatively few of the Middle East visitors to France take the time to discover the rest of the country, adds Chahine Mikdam, PR and marketing manager for Maison de la France’s Middle East Regional Office.

“There’s a lot more to France than Paris, and while some travellers are beginning to get a bit more adventurous, of course, we [Maison de la France] are dedicated to getting this message across to travel agents,” he says.

Booking the same old Dubai-Paris four-star luxury hotel itinerary can become routine and mundane for agents, so being able to offer a more diverse package can make a refreshing change and pose a new challenge.

This approach is a priority for many regional travel agencies, as Segu Abdul Cader, senior tour executive, Global Holidays – Abu Dhabi, points out.

“Many people from this region book to France every year – they love France, either for a city break or as part of a longer summer tour – but most of the time it’s only Paris they ask for,” he says.

“It’s important for us to be able to offer more choice, more options, and it’s down to the agents to sell customers a more varied French experience, so that they can really see the country and experience the culture and the gastronomy.”

Paris’ Charles de Gaulle Airport, and the city’s smaller international airport, Orly, offer a convenient gateway to the rest of the country, says Air France’s Haddad.

“Our nationwide connections include a large number of routes, with 43 destinations in total, 15 of which are directly available from Charles de Gaulle and 28 destinations that are served from the Orly-Ouest terminal,” she says.

“For example, we have six daily flights from Paris CDG to Lyon and 38 weekly flights from Paris-Orly to Lyon. There are smooth air connections from Paris to Bordeaux, Marseille, Clermont-Ferrand and beyond.”

So, which other parts of France offer attractions that may be able to persuade customers to broaden their horizons?

Maison de la France’s Mikdam claims the possibilities are endless, but concedes there are a few sure-fire winners that all agents should consider highly recommendable add-ons to the traditional Paris trip.

The Riviera

In the south of the country, the Riviera – or the Côte d’Azur, as it is known in French – has already had some measured success in promoting itself to the Arabic market.

“For travellers from the Middle East, the Riviera is perhaps the second most popular French destination, after Paris,” confirms Mikdam.

Taking in Cannes, Antibes, Nice and Monaco, the region is served by France’s high-speed train network, the TGV, and the Nice-Côte d’Azur Airport.

The region offers a diverse array of entertainment for visitors, staging around 3000 events annually, including 600 concerts, 100 theatre performances and more than 100 festivals, according to Maison de la France.

“Nice has its famous promenade along the Baie des Anges, and a popular fashion district, as well as a flower market, lots of pavement cafes and a museum,” says Mikdam.

“Also, Cannes is famous for its film festival, its marina, and its luxury boutique shops, and Grasse is the world capital of perfume,” he adds.

In addition, the Principality of Monaco, which is the second smallest independent state in the world, after Vatican City, is located 18km from Nice. With a reputation for being one of the most expensive places on Earth, the country is known as a haven for the wealthy.

Tourism is one of Monaco’s main sources of income, and the principality boasts an abundance of designer boutiques and restaurants.

The wealthiest of Monaco’s four quarters is Monte Carlo, which is famous for its casinos, and for being home to most of the Circuit de Monaco, which hosts the Formula One Monaco Grand Prix every year.

The Société des Bains de Mer operates five palaces and deluxe hotels, five casinos, 60 conference and banqueting rooms, 33 bars and restaurants, four spas, and several cultural and leisure venues in the principality, including the Opera, the Cabaret, the Salles des Etoilles, the Monte Carlo Golf Club and the Monte Carlo country club.

The 334-room Monte Carlo Bay Hotel & Resort, the newest property in the Société’s portfolio, is set in five acres of garden and not only features 21 suites, a spa and four restaurants, but also offers casinos, shows and a nightclub. It is a member of the WorldHotels Deluxe Collection.

“[Currently], the Gulf represents a 5% share of our clients,” says press officer Mireille Rebaudo-Martini.

“This is a growing segment, however, since Monte Carlo delivers the kind of luxury experiences expected by the most demanding of guests – great events, wellbeing facilities, art and culture, entertainment and fun.”

Normandy

In the west, meanwhile, is Normandy, again, an easy journey by rail or air from Paris. The region is home to Mont-Saint-Michel abbey, the historic Bayeux Tapestry, the beaches of the Second World War D-Day landings, and the harbours of Granville, Deauville and Honfleur, making it another must-see destination, according to Mikdam.

“This market would love Normandy, with all its history and the mild climate there. It is great for an activity holiday, and there are beaches, water sports, hiking and horse riding. It’s also famous for the casinos.”

In fact, Mikdam so strongly believes in the appeal of this region that he led a fam trip to Deauville in March for seven agents from Saudi Arabia.

“Deauville offers a very nice programme for the Saudis and the trip was for business development managers and senior travel consultants,” he explains.

“These are the people that have to deal with customers, so a trip like this will help them to explain the destination better, as they will have seen the region for themselves.”

Provence – Alpes – Côte d’Azur With cities such as Aix-en-Provence, Arles, Avignon, Marseille, Menton, Saint-Tropez, and Toulon, the Comité Régional de Tourisme for the Provence – Alpes – Côte d’Azur region has also realised that it has a great deal to offer visitors from the Middle East.

Just a short drive from the city of Nice, the region can provide a traditional French experience, with medieval market towns such as Malaucène, Gothic buildings like the fourteenth-century Palace of the Popes in Avignon, as well as horseback and hiking excursions, bull fights, concerts and other regular festivals.

“A lot of the time they [Arab nationals] miss the green and the mountains, so when they are on the Côte d’Azur, many would enjoy a brief excursion, or maybe even a longer stay, in the mountains, which are only a short drive away,” explains Mikdam.

As a result, the regional tourist board is currently planning new marketing strategies, which will place more importance on promoting Provence – Alpes – Côte d’Azur to the Middle East audience, according to Patrick Tengor, the organisation’s marketing manager.

“We’re very interested in promoting to the Middle East Market, but this requires a long-term investment – a two- to three-year commitment to develop business in the region,” he says.

“We are accustomed to having a few Arabic guests here because of our location, close to Nice and the Riviera. Those who do visit the mountain resorts in the region enjoy the fact that they can be in the mountains and yet can still see the Mediterranean,” he adds.

Rhône-Alps

The Rhône-Alps region offers diverse possibilities for visitors, from hiking the trails around the nature parks of La Vanoise, Les Écrins and Les Bauges, or around the lakes of Geneva, Annecy and Le Bourget, to canoeing through the Ardèche gorges or wine tasting at the vineyards of the Beaujolais region and its 12 appellations.

“A 45-minute plane ride from Paris, the region’s capital, Lyon, is a UNESCO heritage site and is well-known for its shopping – it is a silk-making town – and for its gastronomic restaurants,” says Rachel Gregoris, promotions manager – overseas markets, Rhône-Alps Tourisme.

“We can help to put together various itineraries to help visitors get the most out of their time in this historic city, and our web site, www.rhonealpes-tourisme.com , offers suggestions for both full- and half-day city tours,” she adds.

Away from the city, the town of Chamonix, at the foot of Mont Blanc, the highest mountain in Western Europe, is popular with mountaineering enthusiasts. The Mont Blanc tram, France’s highest train, takes visitors to Le Nid d’Aigle, at an altitude of 2372 metres, the starting point for the ascent to the summit, while the Mont Blanc tunnel gives access to Italy.

Also in the Mont Blanc range, is the village of Mègeve, which recently caught the attention of assistant manager for product development at Thomas Cook Egypt, Neveen Ragheb, when she visited the region on a fam trip.

“I like the look of Mègeve – it is a charming, traditional village with a mixture of luxury boutiques and traditional festivals,” she explains.

“It is accessible by train and by plane, from either Paris or Geneva, and the hotels there seem to offer a high quality of service. There are plenty of activities for the whole family, and it is open all year round, unlike some of the other mountain resorts,” she adds.

Not just a fair-weather friend

While the most popular time for holidaymakers from the Middle East to travel to France is during the spring and summer months, the country’s ski resorts are witnessing an increase in visitor numbers from this region, according to Global Holidays – Abu Dhabi’s Cader.

“We have definitely noticed more interest in ski, and since Ski Dubai opened and boosted the awareness and popularity of winter sports, we have started to receive more enquiries about skiing holidays from Arabic families,” he says.

This growing demand inspired Maison de la France to take a group of agents to the Grand Ski exhibition in Chambéry in January.

With more than 200 exhibitors, the event proved invaluable for agencies such as Kurban Travel in Dubai, which is considering adding a winter sports dimension to its France offerings, as travel agency manager Tania Attara explains.

“We’ve never sold ski before, but I found that all the exhibitors that I spoke to were extremely keen to build relationships with the Middle Eastern agents – they were trying to better understand our market and saw the potential for growth with visitors from this region,” she says.

“There are a few resorts that are open all year round – offering skiing in the winter and then activity holidays and relaxing mountain retreats in the summer – so these offer the best of both worlds.

“In terms of pure ski, however, I was impressed by Courchevel in particular. It has several four-star deluxe hotels, good restaurants, boutique shops, spas, and plenty to do aside from skiing,” she adds.

Courchevel Tourisme agrees and is working closely with all the resort’s hotels to develop business from the Middle East and is actively positioning the resort as a luxury destination ideal for beginner skiers.

“The majority of the four-star deluxe properties located in Courchevel’s 1850 resort are ‘ski-in/ ski-out’, with beginners slopes leading right to the front door,” explains Claude Pinturault, director of Courchevel’s Hôtel Annapurna.

Others, such as the Kilimanjaro, offer luxuries such as private helicopter transfers and a La Prairie spa.

“This level of service is very impressive. When dealing with the real top-end clients, it is important to have something to offer them that still has that ‘wow factor’,” says Attara.

While at present, visitors from the Middle East – primarily the UAE – only account for around 3% of Courchevel’s clientele, the resort’s tourist board is keen to improve business from the region, and Céline Kay, marketing and promotion, Courchevel Tourisme, sees Dubai and Qatar as the areas with most potential for growth as feeder markets.

“We will be organising workshops and other special events together with the hotels and/ or Maison de la France. We will be travelling to Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain and Dubai to promote the resort, and we will also have a presence at Arabian Travel Market [ATM],” she says.

“The Middle East is an important target for us, as we have the products they are looking for, whether it is a hotel or chalet, and we can provide all the facilities and services the top-end clients are looking for.”

Targeting trade

Joining Courchevel Tourisme, tourist boards from the Riviera, Normandy and other French destinations will be exhibiting at ATM alongside Maison de la France.

“The regional tourist boards are mainly targeting the Arab family market, as France may be ‘too close to home’ for most European ex-pats living in the region, but this is a very high-spending market, so everyone wants to get their share,” explains Mikdam.

And Maison de la France’s efforts do not stop with ATM. The organisation took a fam trip group to the 650-exhibitor-strong Rendez-Vous France trade show in Strasbourg at the end of March. The Middle East contingent comprised five agents from the UAE, seven from Saudi Arabia, five from Egypt, five from Lebanon and two from Jordan.

A Maison de la France road show featuring a delegation of hotels, tourist boards, car rental companies and other useful contacts from the various French regions will also visit the Middle East this month, taking in Jeddah, Riyadh and Kuwait.

The purpose of the expedition, which will take place from April 21-25, is to provide networking opportunities for the French delegates with around 40 key travel agents and tour operators in each city.

“It’s mutually beneficial that we keep the trade in the Middle East well informed about the various possibilities that France can offer,” says Mikdam.

“It allows the French tourism industry to take advantage of this lucrative market, and enables the region’s travel agents to maximise their commission by booking more extensive itineraries and up-selling the destination.”