“There was a good mix of people who have been coming to the Indian market and we also had new entrants to the market,” said Sheetal Wadhwa Munshaw, Director – India, Atout France.
About the suppliers, Munshaw said, “Apart from Moulin Rouge, we had a new cabaret coming in, called César Palace. We also had a hotel chain coming in from Paris called the Gateway Collection. We had 2 DMCs – Mondoramas Incoming and Key Promotion International – coming for the first time. KPI is completely focused on high-end individuals, though they also do groups. They are more on the upscale side. It was an interesting mix of the diversity of France that we showcased. We focused a lot on wine and gastronomy tours. The response was very positive.”
Atout France conducted the roadshow in Bengaluru after a gap of 10 years. Elaborating on the same, Munshaw said, “Bengaluru was exciting because we went back after 10 years in a roadshow format. Apart from that, Air France is also launching a flat-bed product in the city. We also have a new Consul General, who’s just arrived, so that was another reason to return to Bengaluru. On the other hand, Mumbai has always been our home turf. We have a very good network and support of agents here.”
Having concluded the roadshows for this year, Munshaw is looking forward to an eventful 2016 for Atout France. “We are looking at tapping more markets the next year. We are not too sure about the format we shall be using, but we would definitely look at other cities in time to come, because we have seen the demand. We are looking at Kolkata, Pune, Ahmedabad, and Jaipur,” she stated.
Talking about the Indian market in general, Munshaw stated, “The regions in France have started taking note of India. The market is poised to become the next big thing, so we have big ambitions, which we hope to achieve through the continued support of the trade. We will continue to enhance tourist numbers and revenue through individual clients. We will focus on niche segments like women travellers, golf, food & wine. Then we will have UEFA Euro 2016, which will also be our focus. Special interest tours have become prominent.”
Munshaw added that Atout France is keen to promote Paris differently, since the capital city is even now a highlight for Indian tourists. “We will look at experiential travel, besides focusing on different regions. We have great connectivity, as we are in the heart of Europe. Air France has been really pitching France and Paris as their hub. Rail Europe is getting bullish on the France rail passes as well,” she said.
About the visa processing system, Munshaw said that visas have become seamless. Atout France has 14 visa application centres across India. “We are going to target the Incentives segment. Our 48-hour visa delivery has upped the ante and changed the whole scope of tourism to France. It is going to continue in that direction. We are particularly looking at executing it, in the same turn-around time,” Munshaw shared.
