Atout France, the Tourism Development Agency of France, recently organised the 5th edition of its flagship B2B event, Explore France in Kochi in Kerala. According to a press statement by Atout France, the event provided a perfect platform  in building successful synergies between French tourism partners and the travel trade fraternity from across India.

The statement adds that over the course of two days of interactive exchanges, as many as 1,782 pre-scheduled meetings took place between buyers and exhibitors, reinforcing India’s potential as a source market for destination France.

The statement adds that the French delegation comprised of partners who have maintained a steady presence on the market and new entrants interested to make a foray into the market. It says that this year also marks 20 years of Atout France’s presence in India.

As part of the event, “An Evening Under the Stars” was organised in association with La Vallée Village, member of the Bicester collection in the presence of Lise Talbot Barré, Consul General of France in Pondicherry and Chennai, Didier Talpain, Consul General of France in Kolkata and Jean-Marc Séré-Charlet, Consul General of France in Mumbai. 

An interactive session on visas was also organised by the Consulate General of France in Pondicherry and Chennai for all participants. The session provided many useful insights on visa submissions and other relevant information, says Atout France. 

Sheetal Munshaw

“We have had a very satisfying turnout for this edition of our showcase. Both our partners and agents displayed strong levels of motivation and a keen interest in the showcase of destination France to the discerning Indian traveller. India is within the top 15 source markets for France and according to Oxford Economics, an estimate of 4,96,000 Indian visitors are expected to visit France in 2023. With the Rugby World Cup underway and the Olympic and Paralympic Games slated to take place in Paris next year, I believe that the interactions between our partners and agents are instrumental to establishing France’s strategic positioning as a preferred tourist destination for this year and the next,’’ says Sheetal Munshaw, Director Atout France India.