Atout France Launches Its Second #ExploreFrance Festival – Wine Tourism Edition
05.09.2023 - 07:03
/ breakingtravelnews.com
Organised by Atout France, the second edition of the #ExploreFrance Festival takes place in London from 11-17 September 2023 and shines the spotlight on wine tourism.
The festival is entirely dedicated to promoting French wine tourism destinations, targeting British travellers with a series of professional and public events that position France as a key oenological and eco-responsible tourist destination in Europe and highlight its importance in UK-France trade. The festival will include B2B and press activities for French partners over three days and is supported by a week-long cultural programme around wine for the general public, held at the Institut Français.
The universal appeal of wine tourism in France, its diverse range of products and services and its economic importance in UK-France trade make it a strategic topic in this second year of tourism recovery. The festival aims to raise the profile of France’s vineyards by levering on the country’s rich culture, gastronomy and hotel scene.
The festival’s main public event is an evening wine tasting and panel moderated by the editor of Food & Travel on Thursday 14 September at the Institut Français in South Kensington, London. Tickets are available directly from the Institut Français website. This is complemented by a week-long programme of screenings of modern and classic films and documentaries linked to wine and/or France, plus a special wine menu on offer at the Institut’s restaurant La Gazette.
For professionals, a VIP event sponsored by Club Med will be held at St Paul’s Cathedral, an iconic venue at the heart of the former Wine Merchants’ district. The event will include networking for top-tier tour operators and travel agencies plus press and influencers, with a wine tasting led by Club Vino. Two private tours of St Paul’s Cathedral will follow and a quiz – with luxury prizes for the winners – will close the evening.
Also for professionals, a two-day B2B workshop will take place on Wednesday 13 and Thursday 14 September at the Leonardo Royal Hotel St Paul’s, as part of the Global Travel Marketplace organised by Jacobs Media Group. The two days will include one-to-one meetings, interactive learning sessions, panels and networking. Wednesday will end with an ‘Apéritif a la Française’ cocktail reception on the hotel rooftop, celebrating France’s wine tourism tradition.
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For the press, the festival incorporates a sustainability-themed lunch sponsored by Brittany Ferries. A select group of green travel media will be invited to FARE Restaurant on Old Street to learn more about France’s eco-responsible and wine tourism from a panel of keynote speakers recruited by Atout France, followed by an informal networking lunch.
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