THEME HOLIDAYS /
THEME HOLIDAYS / ECOTOURISM Ecotourism Far from the madding crowd, an increasing number of international tourists are seeking an authentic, responsible holiday, bringing them closer to nature. They are looking for alternate means of transport, and are happy to take their time to discover the diversity of France’s regions and to meet and mingle with the locals. USPs • Diversity of France’s countryside, adding to the quality and importance of ecotourism circuits; • 80% of France remains rural: a veritable natural asset; • Numerous forms of tourism are centred on “soft” itineraries (cycling, hiking or on horseback), privileging accommodation in close proximity with the nature and local populations. KEY FIGURES More than 10,000 km of cycle-ways and green-ways (up to 21,000 km of itineraries by 2020). 65,000 km of long-distance hiking trails and 115,000 km of walking and hiking tracks. 2,500 establishments and associations catering for equestrian tourism and 350 centres officially recognised by the French Equestrian Federation. © P.Forget - CRT Centre-Val de Loire 10 NATIONAL PARKS Recognised on an international level as of territories of exception, France’s national parks embody excellence in the preservation of biodiversity. They offer a combination of outstanding land and sea areas and constitute spaces that bring together exceptional natural, cultural and landscape heritage. The Mercantour national park owes the diversity of its landscapes and the richness of its natural and cultural heritage to its unique geographic location, at the crossroads of the Ligurian influences: alpine, Mediterranean and Provencal. The territory of the national park, which runs from its landlocked valleys to the metropolis of Nice, boasts nearly 8,200 living species. Blois “Loire à Vélo” is a unique, already muchtravelled itinerary. Highly accessible and easy to ride, it alternates between quiet roads, green ways, no-thoroughfare lanes, cycle tracks and paths that overall include 300 stopping places for cycle tourists. Loire à Vélo takes the rider through the Loire Valley (included on the World Heritage Listing as a living cultural landscape), a harmonious alliance between mankind and nature. The châteaux, towns and villages, the river and its culture, winegrowing and gastronomy all fit perfectly into this magnificent landscape. National parks (la Vanoise, Port-Cros, the Pyrénées, the Cévennes, the Ecrins, the Mercantour, Guadeloupe, Reunion Island, Guyana and the Calanques) cover varied land and sea areas and represent almost 9.5% of French territory (60,728 km²). Every year, they attract more than 8.5 million visitors. Parc national du Mercantour “LOIRE À VÉLO”: A 800KM FREEWHEELING CRUISE BIVOUACKING IN CYCLING SHELTERS On the “Loire à Vélo” cycling trail, 12 campsites offer cyclists the chance to stay over for a night in an amazing hut on stilts with breakfast included! This simple and cheap form of accommodation, made of sustainable materials (wood and canvas), provides the basic needs of travelling cyclists with a comfortable sleeping space. © Nico4nicolas 12 France: Destinations to (re)discover france.fr
THEME HOLIDAYS / GASTRONOMY Gastronomy French gastronomy remains a «flagship» of global cuisine; a benchmark of excellence and rigor. It’s a savvy blend of heritage and know-how, an expression of human creativity resulting from the alliance, assembly or sublimation of flavours, with wonderful harmony between wines and dishes. Each region of France invites the visitor to enjoy its specialities through moments of sharing and conviviality, in the image of French gastronomy, inscribed on UNESCO’s intangible heritage list of humanity since 2010. USPs GOÛT DE / GOOD FRANCE BRINGS TOGETHER 2,000 CHEFS, 2,000 MENUS, ON 5 CONTINENTS Orchestrated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Development and the chef Alain Ducasse, Gout de / Good France brings together up to 2000 restaurants in 150 countries to celebrate French gastronomy on March 21, every year since 2015. In each participating restaurant, the event, in the form of a dinner, pays tribute to the excellence of French cuisine, its capacity for innovation and the values it conveys: sharing, pleasure, and the respect of “eating well”, one’s contemporaries and the planet. • French gastronomy, a centuriesold legacy: in France, the history of gastronomy dates back to the Gauls, who developed a cult of good food and drink that has been perpetuated over the centuries. • A cuisine that’s constantly evolving: new trends, creativity of the chefs, new cooking methods catering for globalised tastes, and support for sustainable development. • French “art de vivre”: holidays enriched by meetings with producers at the local markets or with French chefs who, on a daily basis, transmit their passion and love of their profession. KEY FIGURES 158,500 restaurants and cafés 57% of “gastronomes” prefer merchant hosting or staying with friends or family (as opposed to 37% of the total population) 52% of “gastronomes” prefer long holidays DIJON: INTERNATIONAL CITY OF GASTRONOMY & WINE OPENS IN 2019 Future International City of Gastronomy & Wine 2019 will mark a turning point in the history of Dijon, capital of Burgundy. The year will see the opening of a remarkable new 600-hectare urban complex including cultural and tourism-related facilities (shops, restaurants, bars & hotel), an eco-district and a cinema complex, the CIGV, being built at a cost of around 200 million Euros. It is on the historic site of the old general hospital in Dijon edified in the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries that these cultural activities will take place. Excellent accommodation will be just as much a part of the scenery, as a 4-star hotel of 125 rooms will be located in historic buildings located just south of the site. france.fr France: Destinations to (re)discover 13
