12 NEWS © JJ Brochard -
12 NEWS © JJ Brochard - CRNTA © Alban GILBERT - CRTA Atlantic Coast Château de Castelnaud, Dordogne Ossau Pyrenees Nouvelle-Aquitaine Strategy Creation of value... and jobs “In 2020, Nouvelle-Aquitaine will be not only the biggest region in France, but also the number one tourist destination” The figures speak for themselves. The Nouvelle-Aquitaine region is the: The biggest region in France – 84,000 sq km #1 agricultural region in Europe #3 economic region in France, with €158bn turnover at last count #2 aeronautical region in France #1 region for forested lands, with 2.8m Ha of forests 5.8 million inhabitants in 12 departments OBJECTIVES FOR 2020 to become the #1 destination for French tourists (27.5m - +14.5%) to become the #3 French destination for international tourists (4.5m - +38%) overall 32 million tourists (+19% over 2017) 15m in tourism revenues (+25%) 140,000 jobs (+35%) With 14 UNESCO world heritage sites, and 28 of the “most beautiful French villages”, along with an incredible 720 km of coastline, Nouvelle-Aquitaine will be targeting local and global outbound tourism markets in order to achieve its ambitious goals. To achieve the projected targets, the capacity and quality of the region’s hospitality offering will be increased in line with improved air, road and rail links, and new, exciting promotional and branding campaigns are set to be launched in order to foster interest among potential travellers. CREATION OF A NEW WEBSITE The creation of visit-nouvelleaquitaine.com, in collaboration with Atout France, along the lines of France.fr, is set to be a key element in the promotion of the region. At the same time, a new social network strategy has been developed: “listen/ analyse/ influence” – leveraging renowned players. The new website and strategy of e-reputation will be structured around strong brands, with a campaign of communication across various media. DESTINATIONS Bordeaux city and wine area Among the vineyards, near the Atlantic Ocean and the Pyrenees mountains, Bordeaux proudly raises its splendid facades on the banks of the Garonne river. Bordeaux is the first urban area to be distinguished by UNESCO with such a vast and complex boundary. Its classic and neo-classic architecture has seen barely any stylistic change for over two centuries and the city has over 350 buildings classified or listed as historic monuments. And when it comes to wine, names like Margaux, Saint-Estèphe, Pomerol, Pauillac, Saint-Emilion, and Côtes de Blaye set the taste buds dancing. Dordogne Valley and Périgord The Dordogne area is a land of many assets: from gastronomy (foie gras, truffles, etc.) to historical heritage (from the Lascaux caves to medieval villages and castles - Beynac, Castelnaud, etc.). As part of the Man and Biodiversity project, the Dordogne Valley was named a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in 2012, the entire watershed sheltering great biodiversity and containing one of the biggest estuaries in Europe. Atlantic Coast From Pays de la Loire to the Landes via Ile de Ré, this is the kingdom of water sports, cycling paths and lively seaside resorts. Visitors are always taken aback by the Atlantic Coast’s unforgettable beaches and panoramas. Biarritz and Pays Basque Two strong identities, the Pays Basque (on the Atlantic side) and small villages (inland), and an offering combining the countryside, the mountains and the seaside. Charente Valley and Cognac Country In Cognac, town and eau-de-vie are one. So, a stay in Cognac would not be complete without a visit to a grand spirit merchant to learn the secrets of distillation or discover the ageing cellars and the “Paradis”, the cellar where the oldest eaux-de-vie are jealously kept. Pyrénées, Pau Béarn In the city of Pau, the Boulevard des Pyrénées is one of the favourite spots among locals: facing due south, they settle on the terraces of the cafés in the shade of the palm trees as soon as the sun comes out and admire the Pyrenean peaks as they think, depending on the season, about downhill skiing (in winter), about walks in the mountains and about excursions in the nearby Jurançon wine area (all year round). Poitiers & Futuroscope Futuroscope is one of France’s most loved theme parks. In ITB BERLIN NEWS • Wednesday 7 th March 2018 www.itb-berlin-news.com
NEWS 13 © CRNTA 2020 Quai Marchal Lyautey, Bordeaux © Ducourret Gravereau - CRTNA TRAVEL PROFESSIONALS’ VIEWPOINT Tim Hentschel CEO, HotelPlanner.com & Meetings.com Southwestern France has always been very popular with our clients, and the new initiatives by the Nouvelle- Aquitaine regional tourist board to harmonise and boost promotion of the region will, I am sure, foster a much stronger attraction for international visitors. Indeed, we all know that the surf of Biarritz and the vineyards of Bordeaux have strong pulling-power, but these, when combined with all the other destinations and activities of the region, make it a “must include” in any itinerary to Europe or France. This is a people business, and it is good to see that the people in this region are truly pulling together to create a tourism offering that is on a par with any other region in the world, and the result will no doubt be healthy growth for the industry in the region. Guido Graf Travel Designer, DeluxeTargets, Switzerland 2017, the park celebrated its 30th anniversary. Visitors won’t find roller-coasters or carousels at Futuroscope but dynamic cinemas, gigantic screens, and even dancing with robots. Meanwhile, Poitiers, with its 2,000-year-old history and heritage, are a marked contrast from Futuroscope. Limoges - Aubusson Limousin gets its generous nature from two simple ingredients: water and earth. The people of Limousin added resistance, ingenuity, creativity and energy to these basic ingredients, engendering skills which have given the region its international prominence: porcelain, enamel, tapestry, and lace. “Made in Limousin” attracts and inspires France’s best brands, the world’s most renowned artists, designers, architects, creators and researchers, who come to Limousin for their talent to be blended with its expertise and research. Marais Poitevin Imagine a magical landscape of shady cattle meadows criss-crossed by tranquil waterways; a landscape of pretty villages where bikes and boats are traditional forms of transport and where local people work to the rhythm of the seasons. Welcome to the Marais Poitevin or ‘Green Venice’, a protected natural area. SIX KEY AREAS OF PROMOTION Specific offerings are set to be made to a number of key areas of interest, including: Gastronomy and wine tourism (art de vivre) Wellness (mountain tourism, seaside, thermal spas) Itinerant visits – Cycling, hiking or cruising (river and sea) Sports (golf, surfing, boating, rugby, skiing) Heritage Tourism and City Breaks (culture, nightlife, shopping) “Savoir Faire” The Nouvelle-Aquitaine is increasingly a region that we recommend for people to visit before crossing France off their bucket list. More and more flights to Bordeaux are coming on line, so that it is becoming much easier to reach this truly remarkable region of France. From the big wine regions, to the coastline with its unique sand dunes and also in the backcountry, the true old French tradition still exists whether if one is looking for surfing, golfing, culture, gourmet, cycling or hiking – I believe Nouvelle-Aquitaine has something for everybody – especially in the summertime. Carlos Garcia Director of Marketing, Logitravel, Spain Nouvelle-Aquitaine is a region that always arouses the interest of the Spanish public, thanks to the beauty of its towns, its historical and cultural heritage and, among others, its gastronomy and wines. Recently, some improvements have been made to the tourist development of the destination, making it even more attractive for tourists seeking to live unforgettable experiences. Logitravel, aware of its potential in the European market, will carry out a complete promotional campaign, including actions in television and the launch of new route packages by car, the best option to discover a place, since it adapts to the needs of each traveller. These proposals will be available in a new exclusive website about Nouvelle-Aquitaine, which will also collect information on the essential visits. Likewise, in the new Logitravel Store – in Kinépolis – events will be held to bring the attractions of the region closer to the public, promising tourist perspectives. ITB BERLIN NEWS • Wednesday 7 th March 2018
