{"id":28166,"date":"2020-05-22T14:48:25","date_gmt":"2020-05-22T12:48:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.monaco-tribune.com\/2020\/05\/the-fight-to-save-tourism-on-the-french-riviera\/"},"modified":"2020-05-22T15:24:51","modified_gmt":"2020-05-22T13:24:51","slug":"the-fight-to-save-tourism-on-the-french-riviera","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.monaco-tribune.com\/en\/2020\/05\/the-fight-to-save-tourism-on-the-french-riviera\/","title":{"rendered":"The fight to save tourism on the French Riviera"},"content":{"rendered":"

This week, the C\u00f4te d\u2019Azur Regional tourism committee has announced a budget of \u20ac2 million to be injected into the local economy to support the industry\u2019s workers and boost what little activity remains after the Covid-19 lockdown and continued health crisis.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Tourism on the French Riviera represents 15% of the region\u2019s GDP, compared with 7.2% for France as a whole, and 150,000 jobs depend on it. Roughly 11 million tourists visit the C\u00f4te d\u2019Azur annually, 40% of the coastline\u2019s wealth depending on tourism. In short, the stakes are high.<\/p>\n

With the Coronavirus pandemic and subsequent lockdowns<\/a> imposed across the globe, economies worldwide, as well as individual entrepreneurs and jobs, are threatened. Claire B\u00e9har, Director General of the C\u00f4te d’Azur France Regional Tourism Committee (CRT C\u00f4te d\u2019Azur France<\/a>), cannot help but make a sad observation.<\/p>\n

“There has been a shock on supply and demand,\u201d she says. \u201cAll of a sudden, everything stopped, there was no more planning trips, no booking, no prospects.” And this occurred in spring, the decisive season in preparing for summer.<\/p>\n

A \u20ac2 million plan<\/strong><\/p>\n

Due to these hardships, the Riviera\u2019s tourism professionals, with the help of their co-financers, have launched a significant \u20ac2 million plan. The aim is to revamp the year’s program, which was aimed at attracting international clients, such as the United States, China and Russia. Given the recent cancellation of many international flights<\/a> from Nice C\u00f4te d\u2019Azur airport, the plan has been modified.<\/p>\n

Targeting the French market<\/strong><\/p>\n

“The first is to boost tourist activity in the short term, that is to say in June, July and August,\u201d explains Claire B\u00e9har. 80% of the budget is aimed at attracting the French market to facilitate this boost. A major poster campaign is going to be launched between now and next month in Paris, Lyon and in the South of France to attract French people who will not be able to go abroad. TV spots highlighting the charms of the region will also be broadcast.<\/p>\n

“During the lockdown, we launched the “Fen\u00eatre sur la C\u00f4te d\u2019Azur<\/a>” campaign (Window into the C\u00f4te d’Azur) to keep a link between tourists and the region on social networks. Now that lockdown is ending, we have come up with “Changez de d\u00e9cor<\/a>” (Have a change of scenery) because we all want to see something else given the current situation.”<\/p>\n

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#Antibes<\/a> visits you! \ud83d\uddfa#Antibes<\/a> is a resort town on the #CotedazurFrance<\/a>. It is known for its old town enclosed by 16th-century ramparts with the star-shaped Fort Carr\u00e9.<\/p>\n

Read with @besttravelbook<\/a> -> https:\/\/t.co\/zpdaWYoo49<\/a>#FenetreSurAntibesJuanLesPins<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/3eeQH058zy<\/a><\/p>\n

— C\u00f4te d'Azur France UK (@_FrenchRiviera) May 12, 2020<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n