Practical Paris

FOR several years, the Paris Convention and Visitors Bureau has been active on the subject of accessibility, leading dedicated workshops and raising awareness among Parisian tourism professionals who are seeking to improve the welcome they offer to their visitors. Helping all visitors to enjoy and explore the French capital they have published the 2019-2020 version of its dedicated brochure Accessible Paris.

This practical 28-page guide provides visitors with everything they need to know on how to get to and around #Paris, where to stay, and also where to find adapted places for entertainment. It is also a source of information for #accessible cultural attractions and recreational activities, and suggests a sightseeing itinerary adapted to wheelchair users. The rich content of this new edition provides an increased number of accessible activities for everyone to discover.

Available in French and in English, at the Tourist Office’s information point, at City Hall (Hôtel de Ville), it is also available on request in large print or in (French) braille. In addition, it can be consulted and downloaded on the website PARISINFO.COM, in the rubric ‘Practical/Visiting Paris with a disability’.


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Celebrate in the Kings playground

KNOWN as the playground of the Kings of France, and remembered as the cradle of the French Renaissance, the #LoireValley will shine even brighter in 2019. The UNESCO World Heritage region will be celebrating the 500th Anniversary of the French Renaissance, which coincides with the anniversary of Leonardo da Vinci's death in #France. 

During the first year of Francois Ier's reign in 1515, and following his victory at Marignano, the French King met Leonardo Da Vinci. Awed by the genius, and by Italy's artistic and architectural renewal, France's great Renaissance king invited the artist to live in France. In 1516 (with the Mona Lisa, The Virgin and child with St. Anne and St. John the Baptist, all now at the Louvre Museum), Leonardo left Rome for Royal Amboise, settling at the Château du Clos Lucé, where he spent the last three years of his life.

The building of majestic Chateau de Chambord, whose staircase and design was inspired by Da Vinci's ideal city, began in 1519. This inspired later Renaissance gems like Chenonceau--of Catherine de Medici fame, Azay-le-Rideau, Valençay and Villandry. The program of events will include a large traveling digital show, an international architecture competition, banquets, and a wealth of exhibitions, including a virtual exhibit of Leonardo's 17 masterpieces at the Chateau du Clos Lucé. 


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The Louvre crowned as France’s top tourist spot

THE world’s largest art museum the Louvre hosted a record breaking 10.2 million visitors in 2018, up from 25% the previous year, with the Eiffel Tower coming in second place.

The historic museum is home to many renowned pieces such as Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa and Théodore Géricault's 19th century masterpiece the Raft of the Medusa, not forgetting many antiquities and sculptures.

Frances’ tourism industry took a sharp decline after terrorist attacks claimed 230 lives between 2015 and 2016, but figures have recently increased, with #Paris once again becoming a European hotspot for tourists.

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News from Top French Cities

WHILE the Top French Cities of Orleans and Tours celebrate the French Renaissance year round, mark your calendars for these upcoming developments:

In late March the city of Saint-Etienne will hold its 11th Design Biennial, curated by American Lisa White.

Starting April 27, 2019 and through early December, the great Northern city of Lille will be effervescent —indoors and out—with contemporary art exhibits, installations and other events. A great open-air kick-off will launch "Eldorado: Lille 3000," a huge citywide fete held every three years.

Lille will also host March 13 to June 11, 2019 a major Giacometti retrospective featuring over 150 works at its Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art.

Sports fans must know by now that France will be hosting the FIFA Women's World Cup from June 7 to July 7 in 9 cities. Six of the 9 host stadiums are in the Top French Cities: Grenoble, Le Havre, Montpellier, Nice, Reims, and Rennes; from which of course the French team will try to match their male counterparts and win. 

Elegant Montpellier will welcome a new contemporary art center in July which will be known as Le MoCo.

Nice will be now be accessible via direct flights from New York on La Compagnie from May through October.


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Lucky Thirteen: Paris to Fuzhou

XIAMEN Airlines, voted China's "Best Airlines" for its extraordinary aviation service for 6 consecutive years since 2012, is officially launching its new direct flight between Paris and Fuzhou on Dec. 11th, 2018. The opening of this new route will provide unique experiences for passengers.

The Paris – Fuzhou route operates three times a week every Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday, 13 hours and 25 minutes one way. It departs from Paris at 13:30 (GMT+8) and arrives at Fuzhou around 07:30 the next morning; the returning flight departs at 00:30 from Fuzhou Changle International Airport (FOC) and reaches Paris at 06:55.

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Get into the holiday spirit

GET in to a different type of holiday spirit and start plotting their summer escape now as British Airways launches new routes from Heathrow to Ljubljana in Slovenia and Montpellier in France.

Seats to Slovenia’s capital are available to book on ba.com from today with flights taking off on Mondays and Fridays from July 15 through to September 2, 2019. Fares start from £63.00 one-way* in Euro Traveller.

Situated on France’s southern coast, Montpellier will be served with a four-per-week schedule, departing on Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays from July 15 through to September 2 also. Fares start from £38.00 per person one-way.

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Anniversary of the D-Day Landings

FRANCE is always an exciting destination and June 5 and 6, 2019 will mark the 75th anniversary of the D-Day Landings and the launch of the crucial Battle of Normandy, which paved the way for Europe's liberation and the end of WWII. 

The anniversary will also include military parades, fireworks, giant picnics, concerts, airdrops, and of course, a great international ceremony attended by the Allied heads of state on June 6.

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Helsinki and Lyon Awarded Titles of 2019 European Capitals of Smart Tourism

HELSINKI and Lyon the winners of the first edition of the European Capital of Smart Tourism competition were awarded their titles yesterday, November 7 at a ceremony in Brussels, on the occasion of the European Tourism Day.Cities of more than 100.000 inhabitants were eligible in the first edition of this competition, 38 cities from 19 EU Member States applied.In addition, four cities received 2019 European Smart Tourism Awards for their outstanding achievements in the four categories of the competition: Málaga (Accessibility), Ljubljana (Sustainability), Copenhagen (Digitalisation) and Linz (Cultural Heritage & Creativity).

The European Capital of Smart Tourism is a new EU initiative, based on a proposal from the European Parliament, which secured its funding for 2018 - 2019 through a Preparatory Action. The initiative seeks to strengthen tourism-generated innovative development in EU cities and their surroundings, increase their attractiveness as well as strengthen economic growth and job creation.

To celebrate their success, Helsinki and Lyon have planned an exciting schedule of activities for 2019. For example, Helsinki will be launching a smart city guidance pilot scheme, making use of collaborative work with businesses and digital tools to create a smarter way to guide people in the city. Lyon's representatives will be travelling the globe for shows, press meetings and special events to inform new audiences about the city's smart opportunities.

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Portfolio expansion for Exceptional Villas

LEADING luxury villa rental provider, Exceptional Villas announced today that they have further expanded their portfolio across many new markets in #Europe for the 2019 season. The company which are also considered to be one of the most trusted #villas rental companies in the world have added luxury vacation rentals in Ibiza, Mallorca, Italy, Greece and the Greek Islands, France and Italy.

#Italy is the company's most popular European destination. The country has some of the world's most beautiful cities such as Florence, Venice, Rome, Sienna and Milan as well as the beautiful hilltop villages of Tuscany, gorgeous vineyards, the majestic Italian Alps, Italian Islands such as Capri and the stunningly beautiful Amalfi Coast.

It is a country that has something for everyone with properties to suit all tastes and all budgets too. Exceptional Villas expects to see a large increase in visitors travelling to Italy this year, especially from its US clientele.

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Hit the Links in France

WITH interest in this year’s Ryder Cup at an all-time high, the biannual event is raising the profile of France as a golfing destination, says European Waterways. Scheduled for L'Albatros Course in Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, just 20 miles from Paris, the #RyderCup pits the best of European golfers against top American players. It is being held in #France for only the second time in history, bringing new appreciation for the country’s many world-class golf courses. 

A number of vessels cruise just hours from the site of this year’s Ryder Cup, allowing guests to “hit the links” in regions that include Burgundy and the Canal du Midi, as well as neighboring courses in the Loire Valley. Between rounds of golf, guests can also participate in culinary excursions, wine tastings and exclusive tours of castles and stately chateaux.


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Epic dream job from Ski.com

THE Epic Pass offers more access than ever, and Ski.com, the largest provider of ski vacations in North America, is searching for a candidate who can show what it's like to experience it all. 

One lucky person will be hired to travel the world for two months via United Airlines to seven countries on three continents, and ski or ride more than a dozen of the 65 destinations available on the Epic Pass. In addition to being introduced to unique experiences at world-class resorts, he or she will be decked out in head-to-toe gear from Helly Hansen, Rossignol and Oakley; capture enviable content with video equipment from GoPro; have a direct line to custom snow forecasts from OpenSnow and collect a paycheck of US$10,000.

The ideal candidate must have a serious desire to travel to some of the most amazing mountain destinations in the United States, Canada, Italy, Switzerland, Austria, France and Japan; must be able to ski and/or snowboard and must love après, mingling with locals and documenting new experiences.

To apply, interested job seekers must submit an application video between September 5 and October 15, 2018 explaining in 60 seconds or less what makes them the perfect candidate. For more information and to apply, applicants should visit www.ski.com/dreamjob or apply by posting an application video to Instagram tagging @skicom, @epicpass and using the hashtag #EpicDreamJob.


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Food on the go for Brits

A study conducted by Le Boat into the eating habits of holidaying Europeans has revealed that Brits lag behind their French and German counterparts when it comes to experimenting with foreign cuisine.

The survey of 1,000 adults from each of France, Germany and the United Kingdom (UK) found less than half of UK travellers (47%) cited food and drink as very being a very important element of their trip compared to nearly two-thirds (62%) of Germans and half of French (50%).

When it comes to the first dish of the day, it seems half of Brits prefer to stick to a savoury start to the day while the French have the sweetest tooth of all at the breakfast table. Nearly four-fifths (79%) of French travellers ensure their morning meal includes some sweet elements, such as pastries, yoghurt or fruit, whereas only two thirds of Germans (64%) and 50% of Britons would do the same.

According to the poll, the British tendency to grab and go at work may be a hard habit to break on holiday. When asked how long they would be likely to spend enjoying lunch, those from the UK are three times as likely to spend less than 15 minutes having lunch while away and four times as likely not to eat anything at all compared to their French and German peers.


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A festival to float your boat

THE Cannes Yachting Festival is expecting once again to welcome more than 50,000 visitors from across the world to view and trial 600 boats on show, taking place from September 11th-16th.

The #Cannes Yachting Festival has been the first to take place in the international yachting calendar since 1977 and therefore leads the season with the highest number of new model launches and innovative designs.

More than 100 boats will make their world premiere at the show positioned at each end of the famous Croisette.  Recognised as one of the most important international boating events and Europe’s largest in-water show, the Cannes Yachting Festival is known for its eclecticism and the wealth of vessels presented in a range of sizes.

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Reimagined renaissance

RENAISSANCE Hotels has officially unveiled the Renaissance Paris Vendome Hotel following a multi-million dollar transformation of its guest rooms and public spaces. Reimagined by Didier Gomez Interior Design, the 97-room intimate hotel evokes its enviable location in the heart of the historic 1st arrondissement.

Tucked away on a quiet street between the Tuileries Garden and the boutiques of Rue Saint-Honoré, Renaissance #Paris Vendome Hotel is inspired by the fashion designers and jewellers that have had their salons in the neighbourhood. Contrasting eighteen century style with contemporary design, the hotel conveys softness and elegance reflective of today's Parisian sense of style.

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Most popular European destinations for American travellers

LONDON and Paris continue to be the most popular European destinations for American travelers this summer, but the remaining spots on the Top 20 list saw significant movement from 2017, according to an analysis by Allianz Global Assistance. This year, Reykjavik, Iceland jumped from 17th to third, Barcelona, Spain slipped from fifth to seventh and Nice, France cracked the Top 20 for the first time to come in at 11th.

American travellers visiting Reykjavik has grown significantly in the last few years. Ranked 28th in 2015, the destination cracked the top 20 in 2016 and 2017.Thanks in part to increased direct airlift from the U.S. to the island nation, Iceland's otherworldly landscapes and colorful city homes have been trending on social media in recent years. Despite talk of over-tourism and discussion to potentially limit the number of annual visitors to the country, Reykjavik's popularity continues to rise this summer.

Barcelona's fall in rankings from fifth in 2016 and 2017 to seventh in 2018, may have been caused by several recent incidents. In the last year, Barcelona experienced a terrorist attack in the popular Las Ramblas area; political turmoil as Catalonia attempted to cede from Spain; and organized street protests in Barcelona.

Nice lands on the list for the first time, this suggests that American perception of the city's safety has recovered from the 2016 terrorist truck attack during the city's Bastille Day celebration.

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Industry News . . .

GLOBAL luxury travel network Virtuoso has revealed the hotels and hoteliers nominated for its coveted Best of the Best awards this year, winners will be announced in August. All nominees are part of the industry-defining Virtuoso Hotels & Resorts program, which boasts over 1,300 hand-selected properties worldwide and more five-star hotels than any other program. Nominees for Hotel of the Year:

• Adare Manor, Limerick, Ireland
• Berkeley, London, U.K.
• Grand-Hotel du Cap-Ferrat, A Four Seasons Hotel, St. Jean Cap Ferrat, France
• One&Only Le Saint Geran, Post de Flacq, Mauritius
• Royal Mansour Marrakech, Marrakech, Morocco

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Festival vibes in Normandy

WHERE else can you head out on holiday and Listen to live jazz in medieval streets? Rock out on a racecourse after touring the Pays d’Auge, land of cider and cheese? This summer, festival vibes are coming to #Normandy, and you can enjoy international artists and regional cuisine with all those famous Norman landmarks just a short drive away. Big names, picture-postcard scenery, surprisingly inexpensive tickets… all just a short hop away from the UK! Here are our five favourite festivals: 

1) Jazz sous les Pommiers, 5-12 May – Coutances A celebration of all things jazz, eight-day family-friendly festival Jazz sous les Pommiers [Jazz under the Apple Trees] takes place every year in the pretty medieval town of Coutances, and attracts 30,000 visitors of all ages, with performances from international stars and passionate amateur musicians spanning seven stages, venues throughout the town and even local cafés and streets. 

2.) Beauregard, 6-9 July – Hérouville Saint-Clair (near Caen) Set in the beautiful grounds of the Château de Beauregard, the popular Beauregard Festival’s star-studded line-up, chilled-out vibe and proximity to both Ouistreham port and Caen-Carpiquet airport means that it appeals to both families and friends heading over from the UK.  

3) Rock in Évreux, 29 June- 1 July – Évreux Don’t let the name Rock in Evreux fool you: rock is sure to shake Evreux, but a sonic sound clash of electro beats, hip-hop breaks and driving rhythms will also fill the summer air on its racecourse. Easy to get to by train from London via Paris, this festival comes in first place for anyone who doesn’t want to take the car! 

4) Hello Birds, 6-8 July – Étretat This free event is held in legendary Étretat, world-renowned for its iconic cliffs overlooking the Channel, and includes live shows and DJ sets on the beach. 

5) Cabourg Mon Amour, 29 June-1 July – Cabourg This hip, intimate festival caters to the indie crowd and takes place on a beautiful sandy beach in the swish seaside resort of Cabourg.

www.normandymusicfestivals.com

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Drawn to Italy

CALLED a “pastel-hued perfection” by Lonely Planet, Cinque Terre is comprised of five cliff-side villages along the Italian Riviera whose colorful beauty draws thousands of visitors every year. It is also one of the inspirations for Art Walk Italy, a unique, seven-night walking vacation offered by ‘The Blue Walk’, a vacation specialist with tours in France, Italy and Greece.

The Blue Walk offers small-group walking vacations in unique and undiscovered regions of France, Italy, Greece, and England. Its clients enjoy leisurely strolls along the beautiful coastlines, village squares and open spaces of Europe while staying at luxury four or five-star boutique hotels and resorts. Each tour includes daily one hour to half-day walks in some of the world’s most serene surroundings. The Blue Walk also offers themed vacations with well-known, talented and creative teachers.

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British? . . . Beach holiday please

THE global tourism industry has been flourishing over the past few decades and vacation or holiday travel is one of the key sectors in this industry. Travelers seem to choose beach holidays more often, which makes the beach holidays segment more popular than most of the others in vacation travel domain. More than any other reasons, holidaying currently seems to be one of the top reasons to travel, besides business tours. Leading holidaymakers in the United Kingdom have been offering several vacation plans for those who wish to travel abroad but evident rise in the number of ‘staycations’ within the UK since the past few years is expected to provide a decent boost to the growth of holidays market in UK.

According to a report by Market Research Hub (MRH), a majority of UK consumers choose to travel with their friends and family just to relax, experiencing the sun and beach. This tendency will play a key role in strengthening the potential of UK’s beach holiday industry. Italy, Spain, and France have been topping the list of consumers’ choices over the years. However, holidaymakers are now deliberately promoting local, nearby beaches, which could present a range of more convenient and affordable choices to those who are planning a beach holiday in coming years.

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Cork underground in Paris

ADS highlighting Cork are running in the metro stations of Paris right now – part of a new Tourism Ireland campaign in conjunction with Aer Lingus and Cork Airport, to promote flights from Paris to Cork and to grow French tourist numbers to the South of Ireland this year.

The ads are running on around 137 screens in the metro stations across the French capital and will be seen by more than 10 million people. The campaign also includes online advertising on popular websites – highlighting Cork Airport as an important gateway to the Wild Atlantic Way and Ireland’s Ancient East.

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