Travel Agent - November 12, 2007 - (Page 83)

NEWS IMPACT One-on-One With Jean-Philippe Pérol Pérol and Merritt FRANCE BEING IN THE PRESENCE of Europeans always makes me feel so American. I become acutely aware of how go-go-go our culture is. This seems all too true when I visit in Boston with Jean-Philippe Pérol, director of the Americas for Maison de la France, the French government tourist office. We have a relatively short amount of time together before I head back to New York, so I’m ready to get down to business. Pérol calmly offers me a cup of coffee and I’m suddenly aware of just how rushed I am. This trait, not unusual for an American, translates into our travel habits, too, apparently. “The tendency is for short trips, seven days or fewer,” Pérol tells me at the start of our conversation about trends among American travelers to France. “You can do one week in France,” he concedes, shrugging his shoulders as if he’s unsuccessfully tried to convince us that a longer stay is ideal. That is the one thing that hasn’t changed about the way Americans visit France; it seems a lot else has. Most important, Americans’ perceptions of France are beginning to evolve. Research by Maison de la France finds that 80 percent of travelers have a positive image of France—a clear improvement from 2003, Pérol notes. The type of U.S. traveler to France is changing as well. “The biggest number of people are coming to France for a cultural experience,” he says, “visiting cities for their architecture or shopping. They know more about French wine than French people. I’ve also been surprised to see the number of American tourists increasing during French festivals. They come out perhaps more than French people.” A large majority of these travelers—almost 70 percent—are repeat visitors, he adds. Sophisticated Travelers Americans are also expanding their horizons when it comes to lodging. Parts of the country, Paris especially, have seen an influx of luxury accommodations. Given the strong euro, Americans are getting creative. “Luxury hotels are clearly a growing segment in France,” Pérol says, “not only because you have very rich people who are traveling, but you have more people who are doing one or two nights in a chateau on a week-long vacation.” That’s not to suggest, however, that tourism has been unaffected by the weak dollar. “It’s true that the number of trips have not been cut so much, but Americans are cutting the way they spend money. We are expecting a 3 percent growth of U.S. travelers to France next year, and it’s a little disappointing because with a normal dollar we would make 10 percent,” he says. And with that, our time is up, and Pérol politely stands up to say goodbye with a friendly kiss on each cheek. “Okay, now you go-go-go,” he says, and I rush off, leaving him to finish his cup of coffee. —JENNIFER MERRITT CONNECTING YOU For more on current travel trends in France, visit visit www.travelagent central.com/france www.yallatours.com FOR TRAVEL AGENTS ONLY National Tour A ssocia tion Interested? Request #034. November 12, 2007 TravelAgent | 83 http://www.travelagentcentral.com/france http://www.travelagentcentral.com/france http://www.yallatours.com http://www.yallatours.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Travel Agent - November 12, 2007

Travel Agent - November 12, 2007 Online Now Contents From the Editor From the Publisher Contributors Europe: Berlin Has a Vibrant Arts Scene Central & South America: Iberostar Grand Amazon: Adventure, but with Upscale Cruise Comforts Culinary Tours in Argentina and Peru Belize Eco-Lodge Packages Pacific/Asia: Bali Awaits Discovery by U.S. Tourists Las Vegas: Three Days in Vegas for Baby Boomers Caribbean & Bahamas: CTO’s Chairman Sees Growth in the Market Dominica’s New Tourism Director Discusses Challenges and Opportunities for His Island St. Vincent and the Grenadines: Where Less is More St. Maarten as a Destination for Foodies Tours: Sunshine and Disney are Just Two of Florida’s Options Cruises: Theme Cruises Generate Demand and Revenue Oceania’s Sales and Fleet are Growing Cruise Deals Cover Story: The New Wave Supplier Profile: Viking River Cruises Launches Land-Only Tour Operation Air Lift: Sabre Takes UpSell to the Skies A Tough Season Ahead: Rising Rates and Demand Give Hotels Edge in Price Negotiating Agenda: Fam Trips, Deals & Incentives, Calendar Caribbean Tourism Conference Cruise and Hotel News Trends In U.S. Travel to France Disneyland Upgrade Travel Week In the Spotlight Classified Marketplace Editorial Index Advertising Index Trendwatch

Travel Agent - November 12, 2007

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