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THEME HOLIDAYS / CRUISING Cruising FRANCE, MARITIME CRUISE DESTINATION France is known for both its design and construction of ships, a healthy outbound market and as a host destination for cruises. France counts 32 maritime cruise destinations offering 84 ports of call. Marseille is the #1 port with more than 945,000 annual passengers, followed by Noumea, Cannes and Ajaccio, which each received between 300,000 and 350,000 passengers in 2015. RIVER CRUISES: THE MOST EXTENSIVE WATERWAY NETWORK IN EUROPE France boasts the longest navigable river network in Europe with 8,500 km of waterways. To this can be added barge-hotels and houseboat rentals without a licence. Holidays combining biking and boating, are also increasingly popular. MARSEILLE’S MUCEM WELCOMES CRUISE PASSENGERS FROM AROUND THE WORLD At the entrance to the old Port, Marseille’s MuCEM (Museum of civilisations of Europe and the Mediterranean) is a “must”. Over the centuries, this has been a place of passage for countless travellers, but while it is strongly anchored in the past, MuCEM is also above all a witness to the present. A true heritage complex, it spans 40,000 square meters and houses no less than a million works, objects and documents. Beginning with the history of Mediterranean civilisations from the Neolithic period, it takes us up to the present day through the Gallery of the Mediterranean, a semi-permanent exhibition space. Varied programming also involves discussions, performances and film screenings. By the Mediterranean sea, the MuCEM, inaugurated in 2013, is linked to the Fort Saint Jean © Catout-France Robert Palomba USPs • Caters to all types of clients (couples, families, seniors). • Ease of access and connections. • Dynamic excursions “off the beaten path”. KEY FIGURES France has the second maritime territory in the world. The Mediterranean is the #1 French cruise region with 2.16 million passenger arrivals in stopovers and 557,000 departing passengers. 8,500 km of fluvial waterways “IMPRESSIONIST” CRUISES To discover Normandy in a different way and enjoy some romantic moments, what better than a cruise on the Seine? During the Honfleur musical and impressionistic cruise in Rouen, a guide relives the history of Impressionism on the Seine, with, as a background, music from their time of the Impressionists. A discovery cruise of Rouen on the other hand allows one to navigate the most beautiful loop of the river Seine, in the midst of scenery that inspired the great Impressionists. It is also possible to take a cruise by outboard boat, Mastercraft or Cape Camarat, in order to appreciate the beauty of the Seine in a different way: pass the locks, discover the chalk cliffs and the cave habitats, admire the surrounding valley while the off barge that characterises the region’s economic wealth glides by. Seine valley © Rouen Vallée de la Seine 10 France: Destinations to (re)discover france.fr
THEME HOLIDAYS / WINE TOURISM France’s top growing regions reveal their secrets At the cross-roads of cultural and gastronomic tourism, wine tourism allows the visitor to discover outstanding French wines, visit the vineyards and to meet the winegrowers. Bordeaux, Champagne, Burgundy... just some examples of names that have made France so famous on the international stage when it comes to wine. French wines are renowned globally for their quality and diversity, and are indeed one of the key attractions of this nation, also thanks to the breathtaking beauty of its winegrowing regions. ALSACE: A LAND OF VINEYARDS AND TRADITIONS FOR MAKING FAMOUS WINES The vineyards of Alsace offer a range of exceptional wines. Rich in history and architecture and boasting a unique landscape, they hold a range of varied events all year round. Protected by the natural barrier of the Vosges Mountains, the vineyards of Alsace benefit from a unique climate and a variety of different grape-growing districts. The Alsace Wine Route, one of the oldest in France, crosses different wine districts. Whether on foot, along the vineyard tracks and discovery walking routes, or by bike on the Vineyards Cycle-way, trips through the wine districts reveal the work of the winegrowers and the art of the Alsace wines. Meetings with winegrowers and wine tasting along the way pleasantly punctuate a walk or ride through this land of traditions and wines. © Zvardon conseil - Vins d’Alsace © Julia Hasse USPs The quality of the wines, Diversity of terroirs, Unique expertise underlined by the recent ranking of the vineyards of Burgundy and Champagne on the UNESCO world heritage list. • Dedicated website visitfrenchwine.fr “LES VISITES HENNESSY”: THE 360° COGNAC EXPERIENCE KEY FIGURES 10,000 cellars More than 10,000 cellars open to the public in France. 7.5 million visitors each year - including 3 million international visitors. A world leader in Cognac, Hennessy has reinvented its visitor tours, offering a dynamic and multi-sensorial experience. Les Visites Hennessy offer five different types of visits, responding to all tastes and requirements, ranging from discovery tours lasting one and a half hours, for novices, to a full day behind the scenes of the company, for connoisseurs. A cruise on the Charente River provides an unusual start to the new Hennessy tours at Cognac. Experts welcome the visitor on board for a private visit in a small group to the heart of the Hennessy universe. Refined, aesthetic and inspiring, this new tour, which follows the rhythms of the making of cognac, stimulates the sensations, between surprise and enchantment. The only producer to have a Tasting Committee, Hennessy opens the doors to its workshop where you discover the secrets and different stages of the production of Cognac. france.fr France: Destinations to (re)discover 11
