Want To Travel To France? Unique New Partnership Inspires French Tourism Via Netflix

22.05.2024 - 13:31 / forbes.com / George V (V)

When I was a little girl – I dreamed, dreamed, dreamed of going to Paris. I grew up in a very non-wealthy part of Connecticut, and I never thought I would get there. Part of my inspiration was seeing the movie Funny Face with Audrey Hepburn and Fred Astaire, the acclaimed 1957 film about a beautiful model who is photographed in France. Oo la la! It was a dream. And I even actually came very close to getting to Paris when I was in sixth grade – I won first prize in a Singer Sewing Company dress-making fashion competition – but alas, I did not make it to the nationals. I only wound up with a portable phonograph – it wasn’t until a few years later that my family and I actually made a three-day trek to Paris after visiting our family in Poland. (and it wasn’t until I became a luxury travel writer that I frequented gorgeous places such as the Four Seasons George V and the Shangri-La hotels).

Well – it seems that, like me, a LOT of people are inspired to visit France because of seeing a movie about France.

And now, the French marketing division called Atout France (the France Tourism Development Agency) has formally partnered with Netflix, for all of 2024, based on a new study, to do just that – inspire tourism to France. Based on the findings of this study by the Basis Research Institute, Netflix and Atout France have signed a letter of commitment to boost France's attractiveness. To mark the occasion, they have unveiled an advertising campaign “There’s Always More to Imagine about France” as well as a terrific new digital travel guide to help viewers discover France through Netflix films and series — ore on that in a minute — so that you can, quite literally, follow in the very footsteps of Emily and Lupin and discover their favorite French spots – and a lot of hidden treasures. The guides will remain permanently accessible here.

The site will be updated with new locations as new films and series are released featuring locations in France.

Netflix regularly puts France in the spotlight with its French and international productions shot in France. A new study conducted by the Basis Research Institute, reveals that the broadcast of these films and series reinforces France's cultural and touristic appeal. Who hasn't felt the urge to travel while watching a film or a TV series from the comfort of their sofa? Lupin, Balle Perdue, Murder Mystery, Transatlantic, Miraculous, La Vie Scolaire... it's not just Emily in Paris that makes you want to discover France. According to the Basis study of American, Japanese, and German audiences, viewers who watched French programs on Netflix are 3 times more likely to name France as their #1 travel destination.

Here, too, are a few elements from the study on the impact of