THE Embassy of France in the Philippines and Atout France (France Development Tourism Agency) is currently leading a delegation of French tourism professionals in Metro Manila and Cebu City.
After two years of successful promotion and missions, Atout France and its partners will return to the Philippines to touch base with local media and the travel sector specializing in Christian pilgrimages.
The mission will reflect the importance of the tourism industry in France that will be highlighted through workshops and press meetings.
Ambassador of France to the Philippines Nicolas Galey explained, “[Our country] offers a wide variety of touristic experiences. It is this diversity that has made France the top tourist destination in the world, with 88 million visitors last year.”
Galey went further: “This presents high stakes for our economy [as the] tourism sector represents 8 percent of France’s GDP and has created over 2 million direct or indirect jobs.”
He further pointed out, “Asian travelers now play a significant role in the French tourism industry. And, indeed, Filipino visitors will have a huge influence on Asian arrivals to France in the next decade.”
“This kind of promotion on pilgrimages seeks to plant fruitful seeds into the market and maintain France’s position as the European destination for Filipino travelers,” the ambassador added.
To increase the number of Filipino tourists in France, the French Embassy in Manila has implemented since less than a year ago the swift delivery of visas that will be ready within 48 hours.
Recognizing the rising importance of the Philippines as a market in Asia, Atout France stated, “This road show is part of a very ambitious action plan for the Filipino market. In the past six months we have organized three familiarization trips to France for about 40 Filipino travel agents to have a meaningful experience of French destinations.”
It said, “The goal for these agents was to earn enough knowledge and create innovative packages, [with the aim of quenching] the wanderlust of Filipino travelers through unique experiences.”
According to the Embassy of France, the number of visitors to their country is currently rising. Almost 90,000 Filipino tourists, or more than 20 percent, visited France last year, notwithstanding the lack of direct flights.
Forty-four percent of cultural visits in France had a religious purpose, as the country hosts 50,000 religious sites, with 10,000 protected as “historic buildings.”
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization has listed 42 world heritage sites in France, 11 of which are religious: Abbey Church of Saint-Savin sur Gartempe (listed in 1983), Amiens Cathedral (1981), Bourges Cathedral (1992), Cathedral of Notre-Dame (Former Abbey of Saint-Rémi and Palace of Tau, Reims, 1991), Chartres Cathedral (1979), Cistercian Abbey of Fontenay (1981), Episcopal City of Albi (2010), Historic Center of Avignon: Papal Palace, Episcopal Ensemble and Avignon Bridge (1995), Mont-Saint-Michel and its Bay (1979), Routes of Santiago de Compostela in France (1998), as well as Vézelay Church and Hill (1979).
Image credits: Sanctuaire Sainte Therese, Sanctuaires ND Lourdes 05