France Market Profile

France
France
Market & Trade Profile
Updated February 2010
Contents 1 – the Market 8. travel to Britain

• Current Volume/Value Statistics and Historic Trends
1. Market snapshot • Trip Characteristics
• Type of Accommodation
2. General Market Conditions • Visiting the UK as part of a Multi-Country Trip
• Population/Languages
• Economics/Politics
• Exchange rate 9. Who is the French Visitor to Britain?
• Interest in UK University Education • Demographics
• Holidays/Annual Leave • Travelling Companions and Travelling Group types
• Consumer and Travel Trends • Interest in Britain/Key Market Segments
• 1st Timer/Repeat Markets
3. Motivations and attitudes to holidays
• The Importance of Holidays in Life 10.activities Undertaken in the Uk
• Attitudes Towards Holidays • What did Visitors Do on their Visit?
• Understanding Travel Needs and Behaviour
• Attitudes Towards Destinations 11. Caring for the French Consumer
• Understanding French Culture
4. reaching French Consumers • Language/ Information Provision
• Deciding and Planning Patterns • Accommodation
• Online Environment • Food and Drink
• Booking Behaviour • Interests
• Media Habits
Contents 2 – the trade/B2B
5. Perceptions of Britain
• Britain as a Nation Brand 12. the trade
• Motivators and Barriers to Visit • Overview of Trade Structure
• Products/Experiences Identified as Attractive • Reaching the Trade
• Britain as a Tourist Destination Brand • Travel Trends
6. Market size, share, and Forecasts 13. Business Visits and events
• World Regions Visited and Forecasts for Growth • Statistics and Trends
• The UK’s Market Share and Forecasts for Growth
14. VisitBritain in France
7. access to Britain • Working in Partnership with VisitBritain
• Political Situation • Overseas Contacts
• Passport and Visa Issues • VisitBritain, VisitEngland and Strategic Partner contact/Further
• Gateways and Access to Britain Information
• Information Sources Used to Compile this Report
www.visitbritain.org
1
1) Market Snapshot
France
France
s ce.
Who visitOverall quite an evoepnoartion of over
ge balan
le. g pr
53% ma 25-44. Growin 8).
d 0 of
41% a g e 7% in 0 2 ade up
(9 % in 2000, 1 or in groups m s (2007).
55s ne ague
travel alo ily, colle
Likely to s - friends, fam
ult it
other ad
a t e s t h em too vthisirds went
Whatym otiv o the most - tw sights, and
is itors d eritage
Holida
v
d v is it e d Built H
g an s
shoppin eums/gallerie
to m u s
half
Total Visit
s
2008
Total Spe
n d 2008
Market shape
3,636,000
Average S (up 7%, ra
p end per V £1053m (u nk 1st)
Average L isit (AEV) p 19%, ra Purpose of Visit
e 2008 nk 3rd)
ngth of S £289 (up 40% Holiday, 29% VFR, 22%
Market P tay (ALS) 11%, rank Bu siness (2008)
opulation 2008 48th)
2008 6 nights
Outboun Length of stay
d Market 64.1 milli
Size 2008 on 84% stay for less than 8 nig
UK’s Mark hts (44% 1-3 nights) (2008)
et Share 2 39.1 milli
008 on
9.3% (ran
k 3rd) Quarter of visit
56% visited between Apr
and Sept (2008)
Top Towns
London, Edinburgh, Bristo
l, Cardiff, Brighton (2008)
95% visited the UK only
and 5% stayed in anothe
titors r
tual compe
country on their trip (2007)
top 5 ac
1. Spain Internet access
2. Italy 42 million users and 95%
have access
co to broadband (Sept 200
3. Moroc 9)
68% population penetratio
n
4. Tunisia
5. USA s
ational destination
top 5 aspir
1. Canada
lia
2. Austra
3. Spain
4. Italy
5. Ireland
www.visitbritain.org/research
More than one-third of all

s on
t a t istic o: French born people living
ts go t s
ates permanently in the UK res
r t he l the UK .org/ip in London.
ide
Fo its to tain
vis visitbri
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ww
2
2) General Market conditions
France
Population/Languages
The US Census Bureau put the population of France at 64.1 million in exchange rate
2008. The population is forecast to grow to 67.1 million by 2018. Since 2001, the rate of Sterling against the Euro has fallen. In January
2001, £1 = €1.58, but it has gradually fallen to £1 = €1.13 as of January
The proportion of the population aged below 60 will decline or stand still 2010. The cost of the Sterling has decreased 28% since 2001.
in the long-term, whereas the proportion of those aged 60+ will grow.
Interest in Uk University education
Language: French (official). There were 4,029 UCAS applicants by French students in 2008 to study
at a British university. 67% (2,703) of these were accepted. France was
economics/Politics the 2nd largest overseas source market for UK universities in 2008.
When France elected Mr Sarkozy as President many anticipated that a
new era of economic and social reform was on the cards. Some progress Consumer trends
has been made, but with the threat of industrial strife many planned environmental awareness
reforms have been either postponed or watered down. Around one-in- There is evidence of growing environmental and ecological concerns
five jobs in France are in essence accounted for by the state. Tackling the amongst French consumers. Pollution and global warming are touching
global economic slowdown has become the top priority for the people’s lives. Concern is no longer academic but is becoming
government in the past two years and a broad raft of indicators now mainstream. Consumer demand for environmentally friendly products is
appear to show that the French economy is once more heading in the growing. Consumers are also showing a lot of interest in organic food.
right direction although the labour market may be slow to respond to an They check the labels of their daily purchases and look at them precisely.
improving picture. The current economic climate seems to enhance the purchase of bio and
ethical products and increased interest in sustainability.
The next presidential and legislative elections are due in 2012.
travel trends
Unemployment has been increasing for most of the past eighteen Travel patterns are directly linked with the emergence of the Internet and
months, reaching 10.1% of the workforce in October 2009, with Oxford is considered to be an ideal means to find 'tailor-made' holidays at the
Economics expecting it to remain at broadly this level during 2010, best price for the wealthy French (who have a higher propensity to have
possibly peaking at 11% before starting to fall. While not taking as big a access to the Internet compared to the French population generally).
hit as in some other European countries consumer confidence remains
downbeat, with only gradual signs of improvement towards the end of Looking for the best deal remains the first motivation.
2009. The combined effects of weak consumer confidence and
favourable exchange rates is likely to be boosting travel from France to shorter holidays but more of them
Britain at present as consumers search out value for money holiday The French reduce the length of their holidays but travel more often
options close to home. throughout the year. There is an increase in the short-stays/weekend
breaks that are mainly booked online.
According to the latest forecasts from the International Monetary Fund
the French economy will grow at 0.9% in 2010 while based on more themed travel
recent figures Oxford Economics anticipate growth of 1.3%. French The French are looking for 'themed' holidays and they tend to mix a 'one
exporters trying to sell goods into the British market have struggled due week in a seaside resort' holiday with a 'one week trekking' holiday.
to the relative strength of the Euro, but this does mean that visitors from
France to the UK are enjoying a significant reduction in the cost of a trip Last-minute booking
to Britain compared to recent years. The French continue booking at the last minute. In general, 17% of
bookings are made less than two weeks before departure and 80% of
The French economy is highly diversified, with agriculture, these last minute bookings have been made online.
manufacturing, services and tourism all playing important roles – France
tops the league table as the world’s most visited destination by
international tourists.
During the first nine months of 2009 France represented the UK’s 5th
most valuable market in terms of imports and 3rd most lucrative in terms
of exports.
holidays/annual Leave
French employees receive a standard 25 days annual leave, the highest
amount of paid leave among developed nations.
However, the 35-hour-week law means that those who exceed this limit
gain additional days off, know as RTT, which can amount to 50 days
holiday in total.
The French school terms runs from September to the beginning of July
with 4 breaks over the school year.
• 1/2 term Autumn break - around 24 October to 4 November

• Christmas break - mid December to benignant of January
• Winter break- mid to end of February
• Spring break - beginning to mid April
(Please note that these will vary by region and are guidelines)
3
3) Motivations and attitudes to Holidays
France
the Importance of holidays in Life
VisitBritain sponsored a question on the Nation Brands Index (2009) to
understand how important holidays and other activites are regarded to
be by the French.
Approximately 500 online respondents were asked: “How important a

priority are each of the following for you in your life at the moment?”
Their answers are shown below.
Top priorities
Professional development (career/self development and learning) is
considered to be quite important for many, but the French’s top priorities
in life revolve around ‘softer’ aspects such as keeping fit & healthy,
spending time with family and friends, having good quality food & drink,
and having time to relax. This reflects their aspiration to have a balanced
life with plenty of time for looking after themselves.
Holidays
Taking domestic holidays is at least ‘quite important’ for 70% and
‘extremely important’ for 8%.
Taking foreign holidays is at least ‘quite important’ for a slightly smaller

proportion (58%) and ‘extremely important’ for 6%.
Internet
75% of online French said that general browsing on the Internet was at
least ‘quite important’ to them and 43% said the same for social
networking sites.
4
3) Motivations and attitudes to Holidays (continued)
France
Frances attitudes towards holidays
VisitBritain sponsored a question on the Nation Brands Index (2009) to
understand more about the French’s attitudes towards holidays.
Approximately 500 online respondents were asked: “We would like to

ask you about your attitudes and opinions related to holidays. For each
statement please give your opinion on a scale of 1 to 7, where 1 is
STRONGLY DISAGREE and 7 is STRONGLY AGREE.”
Their answers are shown below.
Holiday influences
Online French agree that they choose destinations based on their natural
scenic beauty (76% agree), weather (63%), history & culture (53%), and
how welcoming the people there are (46%). Many like to explore new
places away from the crowds when on holiday (65%), but seeing famous
and well-known locations is also important to 59%.
The French have differing needs from a holiday, with 37% agreeing that it
is more important that holidays are exciting than relaxing, whilst 19%
disagreed.
Just 20% agreed (not very strongly) that films they had watched have
influenced their choice of holiday destination, whilst 49% disagreed. For
music, only 12% agreed it had influenced their choice and 56%
disagreed.
Booking Travel
The Internet is seen as a safe way to book travel more often than not,
with more agreeing (39%) than disagreeing (22%). Using a travel agent
for holiday bookings is a useful alternative for some, with 18% saying
they prefer to use an agent, although 48% disagreed. (See Chapter 4 for
more information on booking methods)
Are the French Experienced Travellers?

20% agreed they were experienced international travellers, whilst 49%
disagreed. The French are not averse travelling long distances; just 16%
agreed that it is too much effort to travel for more than 5 hours for a
holiday. Despite this, many still like to take short breaks - 37% agreed
they prefer to take lots of short breaks rather than fewer long breaks.
20% disagreed.
5
3) Motivations and attitudes to Holidays
France
Motivations for travelling There were several factors that were considered to be important when
The European Commission’s survey shows that the main factors deciding where to go on holiday.The French are largely driven by value
influencing the French to choose their main holiday in 2008 were about for money and price. They are also influenced by environmental
rest/recreation and to visit friends and family (VFR). concerns but cost is the over riding factor in attracting the French.
(European Commission study into attitudes towards tourism 2009)
EU 27 Average % French %
essential %
Rest/recreation 37 30 Value for money 38
VFR 20 23 Environmental considerations 15

Price 14
Sun and beach 16 17
Safety/security 12
City trips 7 14
Quality of service 12
Nature 7 5 Social Considerations 3
Culture/Religion 6 4
Wellness/health treatment 3 3
Sports-related 3 2
The survey also looked at the types of attractions that have a major
influence over the choice of destination. The French are influenced by
the environment and culture and heritage when choosing a holiday
destination - which is good news for Britain given its strong heritage
offering. Additionally these results reiterate the NBI findings shown on
the previous page.
EU 27 Average % French%
The Environment 31 31
Cultural heritage 24 23
Entertainment 15 18
Gastronomy 7 11
Art 5 5
Festivals and other events 5 5
Others 8 3
6
4) reaching French consumers
France
sources of Inspiration for holidays
In 2008, VisitBritain sponsored a question on the NBI survey focussing
on the usage and perceived reliability of different sources of holiday
information. Questions relating to sources of information that are used
covered the entirety of a ‘holiday journey’ from getting ideas about
where to go, booking, planning what to do before and during the trip
and those used after the trip was over.
Below is a scatter-plot showing how often sources are used for

‘inspiration/ideas’, and how reliable those sources are seen to be.
Conversations with friends and relatives were seen not only as the most
reliable source of holiday information but also as the greatest source of
inspiration for holidays – over half (51%) of the French got ideas about
where to go based on speaking with loved ones.
Printed travel brochures (39%), articles in magazines (39%), travel

programmes on television (36%) and a national tourism organisation
website (33%) were also used quite frequently for ideas and were seen as
reasonably, but not overly reliable.
Travel guidebooks were also cited as being fairly inspirational (33%)

and reliable (ranked 2nd).
Overall, respondents used far more information sources during the

inspiration/ideas stage of the holiday process than during other stages.
An important point to note is that survey findings are weighted to mirror

the online population of each country, and as such web-based tools are
likely to be over-represented in the results, although with web access
increasingly common (especially amongst those with the means for
international travel), this is becoming less of an issue.
7
4) reaching French consumers (continued)
France
There are advantages and disadvantages to using one source for all
deciding, Planning and Booking Patterns information but the majority would prefer comprehensive sources to
A European Commission report into attitudes of Europeans towards begin with as it saves time. They would still shop around for comparisons
tourism shows that recommendations of friends and colleagues and the – especially in terms of price. Concerns of a single source would create
Internet are by far the most important factors when making a decision doubt over whether best value and quality are being offered, as well as
about travel plans. an expectation of flaws and limited coverage. (In France people tend to
like to shop around at various sources but do the actual booking with one
Most important information source when making a % supplier).
decision about travel/holiday plans
The Internet is a crucial tool both for gathering information and booking .
Recommendations from friends and colleagues 30
International or local hotel search engines are commonly used. Only a
The Internet 24 minority of French travellers use travel agents to book a holiday.
Personal experience 19 For booking transport, again the Internet is used by the majority (airline
sites and flight search engines) but also travel agents to carry out the
Travel/Tourist Agencies 10
actual booking.
Catalogues, brochures (non-commercial) 6
Guidebooks and magazines (commercial) 5 decision to travel Lead times

Media (newspaper, radio, TV) 2 In 2005, 61% of visits to the UK from France were decided between one
week and three months before travelling to the UK. (IPS)
In 2007 VisitEngland conducted some focus group research and part of % of Visits
the research looked at the planning process for a trip to England.
Day of/day before departure 3
The research found that for the majority, friends and family are a great 2 days, less than a week 11
source of inspiration for destination choice, but there is a wide range of
1 week, less than a month 30
other factors eg Internet, TV programmes, newspapers and magazines,
travel guides/books, media advertising and special offers from airlines. 1 month, less than 3 months 31
Additionally the length of the planning process depends on time 3 months, less than 6 months 14
available for the trip as well as cost and special offers available. 6 months, less than a year 8
Understandably, short breaks tend to be more spontaneous than longer
holidays, which are planned longer in advance. However, the planning 1 year or more 3
process tends to follow the same pattern regardless of duration or nature
of trip. Typically a holidaymaker will identify the destination and timing of
the trip, look into transport options to the destination (because the time
factor influences pricing), accommodation and finally holiday activities.
Planning accommodation is more time consuming and can be

problematic due to difficulties in judging hotels, concerns about quality
and fear of disappointment. To combat this, people like to see images
and rely on experience and advice from previous users of
accommodation along with forums and discussion boards online eg Trip
Advisor.
Planning activities and excursions is the final step in the process and this
is often arranged at destination – following a loose plan on arrival.
Schedules with a degree of flexibility are preferred. Travel guides along
with the Internet are highly valued sources of information.
Source of information
8
France
online environment Mobile phone usage
ETC New Media Review www.newmediatrendwatch and Le Journal About 43 million people in France use a mobile phone. Only 11% of
du Net have has a wealth of further facts and figures on the Online those people have chosen to use a smartphone as their mobile device.
Market in France. Some highlights from that and other sources are When going online via their mobile phone, the most popular activities of
included here: French mobile internet users are: consulting news/information; practical
services (weather, traffic info, ...), Chats/emails and white/yellow pages.
In June 2009, there were 42 million internet users in France (representing Downloading (rings/images), finance and blogs use for remains limited.
68% of the population), according to Internet World Stats. The number of
Internet users in the country increased by 4 million compared to 2007. E Commerce
The increase was mainly driven by the uptake in broadband usage with According to Fevad the estimated market growth of the e-
93% of home Internet users connecting via broadband. (Ipsos Média, commerce sector in November 2009 increased by 27% compared
February 2009). According toe TNS Global Internet users in France to the previous year. Encouragingly e-tourism had the biggest
spend 28% of their leisure time online. growth, closely followed by B2B and the fashion textiles industry.
Top 5 search engines: Google, Google images, Bing, Voilà, Yahoo

(Source: Journal du Net, September 2009) online Purchasing
Nearly 8 out of 10 (78%) internet users in France claim to consult the
Social networking and User Generated Content internet before making a purchase (online or offline). Sites considered to
In January 2009, more than 23 million Internet users, nearly 7 users out of be the most influential in researching purchases are:
10, Internet users visited a social network and or a blog. They spent an
average of 2,5 hours on these sites in January 2009, which is almost an • Merchant sites to consult product information
hour more than in September 2008. • 65% Merchant sites to read internet users' reviews
• 59 % Portals / search engines: Price comparison sites
In December 2008, Facebook.com ranked as the most popular social Source :Ipsos Media,Ipsos Profiling,5th barometer FEVAD-
networking site with 12 million visitors, growing 443% over the course of Médiamétrie//NetRatings on the purchase habits of French internet
the past year after launching a French language user interface in February users
2009.
Additionally 96% of the online buyers claim to be satisfied with their
Top 5 social networks (January 2009): purchase. Source: Journal du Net, November 2009
1- Facebook
2 - copainsdavant.linternaute.com email
3 - Trombi The commercial emailing for marketing purposes is popular (although it
4 - Myspace should be limited because of the growing number of enewsletters, which
5– Viadeo are often considered spam. This type of marketing is very popular
amongst the hospitality industry. The opening rate is 22%, the click
Top 5 blogs (January 2009): through rate is 5%. (Source: Journal du Net, January 2009)
1- Skyrock Brand
2 - Overblog
3 - Blogger
4 -CanalBlog
5 - WordPress.com
“Facebook” was the most used keyword in France in March 2009,

searched 38 million times. Twitter also continues to enjoy an increased
popularity with 65,000 searches. (Source: Médiamétrie//NetRatings,
Médiamétrie//NetRatings, April 2009)
Top Reasons for Using Social Networking Sites:

• Searching for good tips (concert, exhibitions or parties)
• Searching for old friends/schoolmates/girlfriend/boyfriend
• Shared hobbies or area of interest
1.6 million of French internet users aged 15 to 24-years-old are

registered to at least one social networking site. This represents nearly a
quarter (25%) of this age group. (Médiamétrie, August 2008)
Digital media
78% of the total French Internet audience viewed online video. 27.1
million French internet users viewed a video online in January 2009, up
16% versus the previous year, according to comScore.
They watched a total of 2.5 billion videos in January 2009, an average of

92.9 videos per viewer, or approximately three videos per day. Google
Sites led the pack with 31% of all videos viewed (15.2 million viewers),
followed by Dailymotion.com (9.8%, 11.5 million viewers )
9
France
online travel Behaviour
Customers are more and more aware of destinations. They visit official
web-sites (tourist boards), they exchange experiences on blogs, look at
videos, check the weather and make their decisions accordingly. They
research their holidays at home, investing 'time' creating favourites and
to compare offers. They are aware of the existing offers and what they
can afford. Suppliers need to adapt offers to be more accurate, offer
themed holidays and facilitate the bookings at the best price. Once
they're back from their holidays, they like to share their souvenirs on
blogs. The Internet is a real challenge for suppliers' websites. To raise
interest suppliers need:
• Short clear texts, visuals and an intuitive navigation.

• Website must invite users to travel via visuals, lists of events, festivals.
• Offers throughout the year to extend the seasonal spread
• Focus on themes, niche products to develop with the regional spread
Nearly a third (32%) of Internet users in France consulted each month

at least one of the top 5 websites belonging to the "Online Travel Agents"
category in the first quarter of 2009, according to the Baromètre
Médiamétrie//NetRatings - Fevad. This represented more than 10 million
unique visitors each month (10,836,000).
Top 5 "Online Travel Agents" websites in France - first quarter 2009:

1. Voyages-Sncf.com: 7,287,000 (Unique visitors) (21.6% market share)
2. Promovacances: 2,804,000 (8.3%)
3. Marmara: 2,522,000 (7.5%)
4. Lastminute.com: 2,391,000 (7.1%)
5. VoyagePrive: 2,061,000 (6.1%)
(Baromètre Médiamétrie//NetRatings - Fevad, May 2009)
10
France
Media Habits television - With 45.9 millions viewers per day, television is the
As in the rest of the world, French print media is declining due to fierce strongest media in France. Each person spends an average of 3.5 hours
competition from broadcast media and internet. All media has also been watching TV per day. Advertisings revenue remains stable despite
affected by the credit crunch and the subsequent fall of advertising changes in the television advertising regulation. (Advertising is no longer
revenue. Still, in 2008 (2009 figures not yet available), the global permitted on national TV channels after 8 pm).
circulation of print medias in France remained stable with a circulation of
4 ,566, 629, 401 copies. national tV channels : TF1 – 26 %, France 2 - 16 %, France 3 – 11 %,
Canal Plus - 3.5%, Arte – 2 %, M6 – 11 %
Every day, 64% (31 million) read at least one magazine. Nearly half the
French population (47%) read a daily newspaper (national or regional) Cable and satellite tV has good themed channels including travel
regularly. Editorial websites have developed fast and now nearly each channels like Voyage (N° 1 travel & discovery channel with 4.2 million
newspaper or magazine has developed its own on-line version. subscribers), Planète or Escales.
Broadcast media benefit from large audiences.
radio 94 % of people over the age of 13 year listen to radio a least once
national daily newspapers: circulations are dropping despite the a day. They mostly listen to radio at home (78%) and in their car (75%).
efforts to develop on-line versions. National daily newspapers: Le Figaro There are 10,000 web radio station in France and 600 local radion
(320,003), L’Equipe (311,457), Le Monde (300,522), Aujourd’hui Ouest stations.
France (190,299), Libération (123,352), Les Echos (171,581)
National radio: RTL – 12%, France Inter – 10%, NRJ – 10%, Europe 1 –
regional daily newspapers are performing well (1, 601, 488, 497 10%, France Info – 9%, RMC – 7%
copies in 2008).
the Internet has a real influence on travel and especially user generated
regional daily newspapers: 0uest France (772,058), Le Parisien content site like the French edition of tripadvisor. Key tourism sites are :
(322,240), Sud Ouest (308,581), La Voix du Nord (281,893), Le viamichelin (6 193 000 unique visitors), linternaute (8, 000, 000 unique
Dauphiné Libéré (238,753) visitors), easyvoyage, routard (2, 000, 000 unique visitors) and
tourmagazine (250, 000 unique visitors)
Free newspapers are considered as direct competitors to national or
regional newspapers and magazines. They are distributed either in the Blogs are increasingly chosen as a credible information source and as
underground or in the streets. users have greater trust in them than alternative media sources.
Free press: 20 Minutes (712 350), Metro (628,890), Direct Matin travel trade/business travel magazines are widely read among the
(421,000), Direct Soir (351,364), A Nous Paris (271,296) travel trade. They all have developed on-line version and e-newsletters
sent on a daily basis.
Weekly news magazines: Paris Match (633,002), Le Nouvel
Observateur (510,057), L’Express (451,344), Le Figaro Magazine travel trade/Business travel: Newzy (143,333), Voyages d’Affaires
(437,239), Le Point (418,922), VSD (328,604) (59,629), Le Quotidien du Tourisme (14,000), L’Echo Touristique
(13,097), Univers des Voyages (9,571), Tour Hebdo (6,794). Tourmag is
Consumer magazine circulations: Weekly and bimonthly magazines an online travel trade website and a direct competitor to print
are the most read - especially people magazines. News and women publications.
magazines are the most read whereas TV magazines are losing readers.
Food, people, news and economy magazines are doing well. how to Manage French Journalists
Being very “spoilt”, French journalists are not easy to target. They are
Women’s magazines: Version Femina (3,578,346), Femme Actuelle always difficult to please and highly critical. They often have a “I’ve seen
(983,242), Marie Claire (683,525) Cosmopolitan (573,160) Prima it all” attitude. When targeting a French journalist, it’s highly
(485,912), Maxi (469,552), Elle (463,687), Avantages (443,350), Gala recommended to provide details in French! Few will be fluent in English.
(437 402), Madame Figaro (434,029), Biba (384 504), Marie France (293 Information sent has to be clear, relevant and newsworthy. They greatly
667), Grazia (424,396) and Femmes (238 101) are new publications. appreciate quirky facts, events, characters, new development and
attractions, exhibitions, movie and literature tourism, gardens.
tv magazines: Télé Loisirs (1,173,433), Télé 2 Semaines (1,162,290),
Télé Star (1,173,715)
Food publications: Cuisine & Vins de France (220,583), Maxi Cuisine

(218,995), Cuisine Actuelle (190,925), Elle à table (152,591), Saveurs
(114,161)
Gardens and lifestyle magazines: Détente Jardin (302,560), Maison

Créative (279,670), Elle Déco (252,117), Art & Décoration (232,514),
Mon Jardin & Ma Maison (215,137), Rustica Hebdo (222,563), Marie

Claire Maison (203,928), L’Amis des Jardins et de la Maison (199,754),
Maison Côté Ouest (142,017) ; Ideat (117,742)
travel magazines have no strong influence as French readers are more

likely to consult national print media travel sections than specific travel
publication when planning or choosing a destination. This would be
followed up by travel guides (viamichelin, Le Routard etc) either online
or offline.
travel magazines: Géo (274,464), Hôtel et Lodge (90,000), L’Officiel

Voyages (80,000), Grands Reportages (45,300), Ulysse (39,033)
11
France
reaching French Visitors in the Uk 44% of visitors from France watched British TV and 33% read British
In 2008 VisitBritain sponsored a question on the IPS to understand what newspapers. 30% used the internet and 24% listened to the radio.
proportion of visitors from each country engaged with different forms of
media when actually in the UK. When just looking at Holiday visitors, 45% watched British TV, 28% read
British newspapers, 24% listened to the radio, and 22% used the internet.
VFR visitors were slightly more likely to engage, with 57% watching
British TV, 47% reading British newspapers, 42% using the internet, and
34% listening to the radio.
31% of Business visitors watched British TV, and 30% used the internet.
25% read British newspapers and 11% listened to the radio.
12
5) Perceptions of Britain
France
how the French rate the Uk compared to other nations
The Anholt-GfK Nation Brands Index (2009) is an online survey of
approximately 20,000 respondents from 20 nations around the world.
Respondents are asked to give their opinion of 50 nations, including the
UK regardless of whether they have visited or not (so views captured can
be based on perceptions as well as experiences).
The chart below shows how the 1000 French respondents rated the UK
for a number of different aspects compared to the other 49 nations. The
chart shows a) how France ranked the UK and b) how respondents from
all countries ranked the UK.
The chart above shows that online French generally have positive views the Uk as a place to live
of the UK, although slightly less positive than the ‘average respondent’ The French rated the UK as the 3rd best place to study for educational
from other countries. qualifications and 11th as a nation with a high quality of life – some of the
French would be prepared to live and work in the UK for a substantial
tourism period (rank 12th).
If money were no object, the UK would (on average) be 13th on the
French’s list of nations to visit. The UK is seen as being rich in exports
built/historical heritage (4th position), with vibrant cities (5th). It is not The French feel positive about purchasing a product that says it was
seen as being a world-leader in terms of the richness of its natural beauty made in the UK (ranking it as the 8th best nation on this aspect) and view
(36th), so competitors have a big advantage here. the UK as quite a creative place in terms of its cutting edge ideas and
new ways of thinking (6th).
Culture
The French view the UK as the 4th most exciting country in terms of its
contemporary culture (eg. music, films, art, and literature). They also see
the UK as having a rich cultural heritage (5th).
The UK is seen to be strong at sports, in 7th spot.
People
The French would expect many other nations to be more welcoming
than the UK (rank 23rd), so there is room for improvement here.
However, the French would be positive about employing a UK national
(rank 4th) and they would be somewhat open to having close friends
from the UK (15th).
13
France
5) Perceptions of Britain (continued)
Cultural associations the Uk as a tourist destination
Thinking of cultural products, the French most often associate the UK Given that the French most commonly associate the UK with museums, it
with museums, music, films, sports, and pop videos. They are less likely is not altogether surprising that they see the UK as ‘Educational’. They
than many other nations to associate the UK with opera, circus, and also see the UK as ‘Exciting’ and ‘Fascinating’, but to a lesser extent than
street carnival (NBI 2009). many other nations (NBI 2009).
14
France
In Autumn 2007, VisitBritain conducted some qualitative research Listed below are also few negative associations evoked by the research:
looking at the identity of England as a holiday destination for French
visitors. • Bad weather – easily changeable and never reliable, with frequent rain
• English food – seen as unhealthy and not very tasty (greasy, deep fried
England was seen to be quite different to France in that it is an island, has dishes, fish & chips)
a monarchy and the Royal Family, drive on the left side, different • Binge drinking (esp. among young people) – though it does not have a
plugs/power points and separate water taps.There is an overall feel of direct effect on holidaymakers, some believe it may make England
‘difference’ in people’s habits, way of dressing, etc. This is especially more dangerous (especially in the cities).
emphasised by French holidaymakers who described England as “So
close, but so far”.
Views are strongly distinguished between London and the rest of
English icons – tea/five o’clock, red telephone booths, policemen and England. French respondents are very likely to centre on London and
their characteristic outfits, black cabs, typical English pubs, well-known mention more London related associations than research respondents
monuments eg Tower of London, Big Ben, London Bridge. Icons are from some other markets. London is seen as a multicultural European
usually associated with London, which demonstrates that knowledge of centre with a vast range of cultural opportunities, where everything
England is very limited to the capital. seems to be available or possible. The rest of England is more
countryside related, and leads to more conservative attributions.
The French also recognised England to a destination of diversity.
• Ethnic diversity – abundance of different cultures and traditions makes
Motivators to Visit Britain
the country more interesting and exciting (this mostly relates to London is described as one of the most exciting European capitals.
London)
Historical heritage – abundance of historical monuments, cathedrals and
• ‘Land of contrasts’ – especially the contrast between tradition and
castles across the country. Well preserved.
modernity
• Monarchy and Royal Family vs. pop culture with its icons
Culture – many theatre and music events happening regularly (musicals,
• Traditional customs vs. eccentric and trendy behaviours – expressed
concerts, festivals).
via different dressing styles, drinking tea, having beers at the pub after
work (a typical English image is people in suits drinking on the street Cultural and geographical diversity – many different places to see (big
outside the pubs) cities, quiet and relaxing countryside, great culture i.e. museums,
• Different accents of English – variety of sounds and pronunciations theatres) and possibility to experience various cultures (cuisines and
• Contrasting people – from very posh and well mannered to simple and shops selling local products from around the world).
rude (especially football fans, Brits on holiday)
• Air of tolerance – British people are seen to be tolerant and not Accessible – easy to get to, close and well connected (Eurostar, budget
judgmental, which makes it easy for foreign visitors to assimilate airlines), which makes it a convenient destination for short breaks.
Cultural and historical heritage – long and rich history, loads of historical
Ease of communication –knowledge of the English language helps
monuments to see (mostly London), great literature (Shakespeare,
visitors feel more secure and gives them more opportunities to do
Dickens), interesting museums and colonial heritage.
exciting things such as theatres, musicals, etc. (although this element is
less important for French holidaymakers than other markets where there
Cool and iconic (mostly in music and sport) – very rich pop-culture, with
is often better knowledge of English). Often language is one of the main
many internationally famous pop icons such as the Beckhams, Robbie
reasons to choose England for holidaying (opportunity to practice and
Williams or the Beatles and Rolling Stones. England is seen as a country
improve or simply learn, eg language summer course).
producing great music plus organising many major musical events
(concerts and festivals).
Barriers to Visit Britain
Trendy and in fashion –associations with English people following the Expensive –mainly when it comes to public transport (underground and
newest fashion trends – from people on the tube often dressed in a cool trains) and accommodation (expensive hotels for relatively low
and unusual way to fashion icons, such as Kate Moss. standard).
English humour – perceived as very typical for England, however Not on the Euro – not very convenient, hassle with exchanging the
requires good understanding of English to be appreciated and properly money.
understood .
Weather – no guarantee of good weather at any point of the year, rainy
and windy.
Driving on the left side – makes travelling across the country difficult and
often limits the stay to visiting major cities.
15
France
Products / experiences identified as attractive Visitor satisfaction / Product Performance
history / heritage / Culture In December 2007 VisitBritain commissioned TNS to carry out online
Britain’s history, heritage and cultural attractions are key motivators for quantitative research amongst French people that had been to Britain in
the French visitor. the last 3 years in order to understand which aspects of their trip had
most influence on their overall experience and likelihood to recommend
In general the French are interested in arts and culture and would not Britain to friends and family.
hesitate to travel to the UK and throughout Europe for a one-day trip or
for a weekend to see an exhibition. key strengths
The French were most impressed with Britain’s interesting cities and towns.
In the Anholt-GMI Nation Brand Index research, 80% of the French Built heritage and culture were seen as Britain’s key strengths, with famous
respondents most likely to visit Britain said they would be very likely to buildings, museums, and galleries all highly regarded. French visitors also
visit castles or stately homes, and sightseeing famous buildings also has felt safe in Britain, which made them more likely to recommend it.
high appeal. We know that , almost two thirds of Holiday visitors did
these sorts of activities in 2006 (IPS). hidden opportunities
The analysis showed that other aspects could be regarded as ‘hidden
short Breaks opportunities’; not seen as important when choosing a holiday
Britain is increasingly seen as a short-break holiday. Generally, the French destination, but having an impact on visitor’s overall experience when
market is opting for more long weekends breaks rather than 3-4 week actually there. Encouraging more visitors to visit Britain’s Cathedrals and
holidays in August. churches once they have actually decided to come to Britain/are in
Britain could come as a pleasant surprise to many and improve their stay
Pubs further.
The Nation Brand Index research shows that the French are keen to go to
a British pub, but they are more likely to be interested in a relaxing drink Aspects of visitors’ trips that the research highlighted as possible
than trying pub food, as they do not rate trying local food and drink areas for improvement are discussed in Chapter 11 (Caring for the
highly. 37% of French Holiday visitors and 47% of French VFR visitors French Consumer)
actually went to the pub when they came to Britain in 2007 (IPS).
key Competitor destinations - aspirational
Walking According to the Anholt-GfK Nation Brands Index (2009), which surveys
Nearly one in two French people carry out walking or trekking as a hobby a representative n = 1000 sample of the online population in France, UK
or sport and would base a holiday around this activity. 27% of Holiday is ranked 13th out of 50* destinations that they would be most likely to
and VFR visitors went walking in the countryside in 2007 (IPS). visit for a leisure holiday “if money were no object”.
shopping 1 Canada 6 Scotland

The Nation Brands Index research demonstrated that 78% of the French 2 Australia 7 New Zealand
respondents most likely to visit Britain claimed they would go shopping
3 Spain 8 Sweden
for fashion, clothes and accessories. Shopping for traditional English
products or trendy items is often a secondary reason for the French to 4 Italy 9 USA
visit the England.They were slightly less interested in shopping for 5 Ireland 10 Holland
souvenirs, around two thirds said they would be very likely to do this.
13 - Uk
Countryside
Britain’s natural scenic beauty and countryside is frequently highlighted Scotland ranked 6th.
in research as being of interest on a visit.
*Note: Not all potential destinations were asked about in this survey.
16
France
Britain as a destination Brand respondents either, with ‘sociable’, and ‘modern’ rated as the weakest
The Anholt - GfK Nation Brand Index (NBI) 2008 included questions to VITALITY attributes.
measure Britain as a holiday destination on attributes related to Britain’s
brand values. VisitBritain’s brand questions were also asked in Wave 3
2005, Wave 3 2006, and Wave 3 2007.
It should be noted that as most participants in the survey have NOT visited
Britain these opinions are based on PERCEPTIONS and NOT experience.
In the NBI 2008, 1000 French participants rated Britain on a scale of 1-7,
where 1 was “poor” and 7 was “excellent” and overall they gave a range
of mean scores from 4.34 (relaxing) – 5.10 (interesting history to learn
about) across the 16 attributes.
This is a simplified diagram showing the relative strengths on the
different brand attributes. Respondents were asked to rate Britain on

each attribute using a scale of 1-7 (where 1 =poor and 7=excellent). As
no country rated below 3, the diagram has a mid-point of 3 and an outer
rim of 7. Basically, the closer the shading to the outer rim, the better the
perception of Britain on that attribute.
Generally mean scores from French respondents are fairly low. Britain’s
DEPTH values of ‘interesting history’ and ‘lots of cultural events and
attractions’ receive the highest mean scores from the French
respondents.
Weaknesses within this area include the attribute, ‘always something

new to discover’ which needs to be addressed in order to ensure repeat
trips to Britain.
The HEART attribute of natural scenic beauty is rated quite highly and is
ranked in 2nd place after the DEPTH ‘interesting history’ attribute.
However, we know that the French see many other nations as being
richer in natural beauty.
The HEART attributes relating to human aspects are some of the weakest
of all the attributes, with low mean scores for ‘welcoming’, ‘good sense of
humour’ and ‘friendly’. ‘Relaxing’ was the attribute that French least
associated with Britain.
VITALITY attributes were not rated particularly highly by French
17
6) Market Size, Share, and Forecasts for Growth
France
travel from France to different World regions Forecast Visits to World regions 2009-2014
Tourism Decision Metrics estimates there were 39.1 million outbound The chart below shows forecasts from Tourism Decision Metrics for
trips from France in 2008. There are forecast to be 42.5 million such trips travel from France to each region of the world over the coming years.
by 2014 (a 9% increase). The number of forecast visits relative to 2008 are shown.
Outbound travel from France is forecast to fall in 2009, but visitor

As is the case for the vast majority of countries, outbound travel from
numbers to Western European destinations are expected to recover back
France is largely intra-regional, with 61% of outbound travel going to
to 2008 levels around 2011.
other countries in Western Europe, with Spain the top destination.
Africa was also visited frequently, with 15% of trips going here. By 2014, an additional 2.6 million visits to other Western European
destinations are forecast (compared to 2008).
Trips to other regions were spread around, with no other region really
standing out.
The UK’s Market Share and Forecasts for Growth

top ten destinations Visited in 2008 (key competitors) Forecast top ten destinations in 2014
Spain is the most frequently visited destination from France, capturing According to Tourism Decision Metrics, the UK is expected maintain its
22% of outbound trips. place as the 3rd most popular destination from France in 2014.
1 Spain 6 Portugal
2 Italy 7 Germany
3 UK 8 USA
4 Morocco 9 Turkey
5 Tunisia 10 Greece
Visits to the UK are forecast to grow by 11% relative to 2008, with over
400,000 additional visits by 2014 (increasing the UK’s market share
fractionally to 9.5% of outbound trips).
After Italy, the UK is the 3rd most visited destination with a 9.3% share of
trips. Trips to Africa are heavily represented by Morocco and Tunisia.
All data is taken from Tourism Economics, an Oxford Economics
company. The Tourism Decision Metrics (TDM) model forecasts
future international tourism flows, based on historic
economic/tourism data and future economic forecasts. It assumes
that there are no barriers to tourism growth (eg no limit to
route/airport capacity, no new visa regulations) and, as a forecast, it is
clearly subject to external shocks which may be natural or man-made,
so should be taken as a guide only.
18
7) access to Britain
France
Political situation / Passport and Visa Issues Main Gateways Servicing France
No political issues currently exist to restrict travel to Britain from France.
aberdeen: Daily flights from
French visitors do NOT require a visa or a passport to visit the UK, but
they do require a vaild Carte Nationale d’Identité (national identity card). Paris (Charles de Gaulle)
edinburgh: Daily flights from newcastle: Daily flights
Gateways / access to Britain Nice, Chambery, Paris (Charles from Paris ( Charles de
de Gaulle),Lyon Gaulle) & Nice
In 2008 (IPS), 39% of visitors from France travelled to the UK by Air, 40%
by Tunnel and 21% by sea. Competition between carriers continues to durham tees Valleys:
increase and has generally decreased the price of reaching Britain. In Glasgow PIk: Daily flights
Daily flights from Paris
addition, the ongoing expansion of low-cost airline routes has greatly from Paris Beauvais,
(Charles de Gaulle)
increased access to the regions of Britain. The shortened Eurostar Marseille & Nice
journey and improving rail links have extended access to London. Leeds Bradford:
Daily flights from
By tunnel Chambéry, Nice &
Paris (Charles de
Paris and Lille have frequent daily Eurostar departures serving Ashford
Gaulle)
and London St Pancras International, with a journey time of 2 hours 15
Manchester: doncaster:
from Paris to London. Eurotunnel offer frequent services for those Daily flights from
travelling with own vehicle on Le Shuttle. Bordeaux, Chambéry, Daily flights from
Lyon, Nice, Paris (Orly Paris (Orly)
By sea & Charles de Gaulle) east Midlands:
UK ports include Dover, Newhaven, Portsmouth, Weymouth, Poole, and Toulouse Daily flights from
Plymouth, Jersey and Guernsey. French ports include Calais, Dunkirk, Bergerac,
Liverpool: Daily
Dieppe, Cherbourg, Le Havre, St Malo, Caen and Roscoff. flights from Bergerac, Carcassone,
Carcassone, Limoges, Dinard, Limoges,
By air Nice, Nîmes and Paris Nice, Nîmes, Paris
Around 30 French airports offer daily services to the UK, with a good mix (Charles de Gaulle) (Charles de Gaulle)
of flights servicing regional destinations within the UK as well as London
Birmingham: Daily flights
area airports. Journey time is typically one to two hours.
from Bergerac, Bordeaux,
Brest, Chambéry, Lyon, Nice,
departure gateways – Beauvais, Bergerac, Biarritz, Brest, Bordeaux, norwich:
Paris (Charles de Gaulle) and
Carcassonne, Chambery, Cherbourg, Deauville, Dinard, Grenoble, La Daily flights
Toulouse
from
Rochelle, Le Touquet, Limoges, Lyon, Marseille, Montpellier, Nantes,
Coventry: Daily flights Chambéry
Nice, Nimes, Paris (Charles de Gaulle), Paris (Orly), Pau, Perpignan,
Poitiers, Rodez, St Etienne, Strasbourg, Toulon, Toulouse and Tours. from Paris (Orly) LCY: Paris
(Charles de
arrival gateways – Aberdeen, Belfast, Birmingham, Bristol, Gaulle) and
Brighton/Shoreham, Bournemouth, Doncaster Sheffield, Durham Tees Paris (Orly)
Valley, Edinburgh, Exeter, Glasgow, Guernsey, Jersey, Leeds Bradford, exeter: Daily London Gatwick:
Liverpool, London (LHR, STN, LCY, LTN, LGW), Lydd, Manchester, flights from Paris Daily flights from
Newcastle, Norwich, Nottingham/East Midlands, Prestwick and (Charles de Gaulle) Bordeaux,
Bournemouth:
Southampton. Chambéry, Daily flights Grenoble,
Bergerac and Brest from Paris Marseille, Nantes,
key Carriers for the Market (Orly) Nice, Strasbourg,
Low Cost airlines: Ryanair; EasyJet; Bmibaby; Flybe; Jet2; Toulouse
Bristol: Daily flights from
FlyGlobespan; Aer Arran; Thomsonfly Bergerac, Bordeaux, Nice,
Major airlines: British Airways; Air France; BMI Paris (Charles de Gaulle)
Ferry Companies: P&O Ferries Ltd, Norfolkline, Seafrance, and Toulouse stansted: Daily
Transmanche Ferries, Brittany Ferries, Condor Ferries Ltd, HD Ferries, flights from
Manche Iles Express, Speed Ferries, LD Lines. southampton: Daily flights from Bergerac, Biarritz,
train: Eurostar; Eurotunnel Angers, Bergerac, Bordeaux, Carcassonne,
Chambéry, Limoges, Rennes and Dinard, Grenoble,
Paris (Charles de Gaulle) La Rochelle,
Ports servicing France Limoges, Lyon,
Boulogne to Dover; Calais to Dover; Dunkirk to Dover; Dieppe to Montpellier,
Luton: Daily
Newhaven; Cherbourg to Portsmouth, Poole Jersey and Guernsey; Le London heathrow: Daily Nantes, Nice, Pau,
flights from
Havre to Portsmouth; St Malo to Portsmouth, Weymouth, Poole, Jersey Paris (Charles flights from Bâle/Mulhouse, Perpignan, Poitiers,
and Guernsey; Caen to Portsmouth; Roscoff to Plymouth; Granville to de Gaulle), Lyon, Nice, Paris (Charles Rodez, St Etienne,
Jersey and Guernsey; Dielette to Jersey and Guernsey; Carteret to Jersey Nice and Nîmes de Gaulle). Toulon, and Tours
and Guernsey
key source regions of France

The largest single proportion of visits from France were residents of Paris
- 25% of all French visits in 2006. Key source regions are shown in the
chart opposite.
19
8) Travel to Britain
France
Current Volume and Value statistics / trends historic trends (Volume and Value of travel to the Uk)
2006 broke the record previously held in 1996, making it the best ever- Visits from France have been growing fairly consistently since their dip in
recorded year for visits from France. 2006 was also the best ever- 2000.
recorded year for spend. 2008 spend and visits were close to breaking
the records set in 2006, but fell just short.
Change year
IPs 2007 2008
on year
total Visits 3,403,945 3,636,332 7%

Visits rank (League table
2 1 up 1 place
no. Visitors to Uk)
total spend £886m £1053m 19%
spend rank (League table
4 3 up 1 place
£ spend in Uk)
average spend per Visit
£260 £289 11%
(aeV)
aeV rank 49 48 up 1 place
average spend per day
£49 £52 7%
(aed)
aed rank 42 41 up 1 place
average Length of stay
5 6 4%
(aLs) - nights
aLs rank 40 42 down 2 places

20
8) Travel to Britain (continued)
France
Purpose of Visit regional spread / top towns
2008 was a strong year for Holiday visits (making up 40% of all visits), 90% of visitors from France stayed in England, 44% in London, 7% in
with the strength of the Euro making Britain more affordable. However, Scotland and 4% in Wales in 2007 (IPS). Top Towns for French visitors in
Business visits (22%) fell as the economic climate became less 2008 were London (1.4 million visits), Edinburgh (110,000), Bristol
favourable. Visits to friends and relatives (VFR) remained stable at 29%. (74,000), Cardiff (57,000), and Brighton (56,000).
Visitors from Visitors from

France all countries
totaL enGLand 90% 91%
*London 44% 49%
*rest oF enGLand 49% 47%
ENGLAND'S NORTH COUNTRY 10% 13%
CENTRAL ENGLAND 14% 16%
SOUTHERN ENGLAND 28% 22%
sCotLand 7% 8%
WaLes 4% 4%
regional awareness
The GMI Nation Brand Index research (2006) asked 1,000 French
respondents about their awareness of the regions of Britain. Participants
The 2001 UK census finds that there were 94,178 UK residents that were were asked how well they felt they knew the regions of Britain – giving a
born in France - an increase of 76% on the 1991 census. These residents score of 1-7 and taking into account any of the ways they had learned or
are mostly likely to be found in London and the South East of England. heard about each region. 1 = never heard of the region and 7 = know the
region very well.
Length of stay
A typical short-break market; in 2008, 84% of French visitors stayed in
the UK for less than 8 nights with 44% coming for a short break (1-3
nights) and 13% being day trippers. 21% of Business visits are just for the
day.
The chart above illustrates that the French know London the best out of
all the regions, followed by Britain overall. England (excluding London) is
better known than Scotland, with Wales the least well known.When
looking only at the 50% of French respondents who had visited Britain,
the mean scores for all regions increase, with the exception of Wales that
The number of 4-7 night stays increased compared to 2007 (aided by the remains more or less the same.
increase in Holiday visits).
Qualitative research conducted by VisitBritain in Autumn 2007 amongst
Qualitative research amongst French holidaymakers in Autumn 2007 French holidaymakers found that London and its attractions were the
found that as London remains the main attraction of England, short city most commonly known part of England. The awareness and knowledge
breaks are the most common holidays taken (i.e. 3-5 days in London). of the country depends on the personal experience with visiting England,
Another option might be a one-week holiday combining London with a but in the case of the vast majority it is very limited. The knowledge of
short trip to the countryside. Only a small minority would plan to spend those who have never visited England or who have been to London is
more than a week in England, which is strongly related to high costs and minimal. Outside of London, Oxford and Cambridge are the most
unpredictable weather. The only longer holidays most visitors are willing known destinations due to famous universities. Some are also aware of
to spend in England are language school/courses. other big English cities like Liverpool and Manchester often because of
the famous football clubs although they cannot geographically place
them and do not know of any specific tourist attractions these cities offer.
Knowledge of the regions is very limited – only those who have travelled
in England can list some specific regions, such as, Cornwall and Devon.
The name Yorkshire sounds familiar to many (associations with Yorkshire
Pudding or the city of York) but many people do not know where it is in
England or what is worth seeing there. The North of England is very
often confused with Scotland.Many are convinced that Scotland and
Wales are part of England and the same relates to the flag and England’s
national colours – the Union Jack is commonly associated with the
colours of England and therefore red, blue and white are the English
colours for the majority of holidaymakers. Only a minority are of white
and red being England’s colours – mostly football fans that are used to
seeing the English flag at the football stadiums.
21
8) Travel to Britain (continued)
France
seasonal spread Visiting the Uk as part of a multi-country trip
Owing to the increase in Holiday visits in 2008, visits during Apr-Sep In 2007, a question was included on the IPS to understand whether
from France to the UK increased (making 56% of all visits) compared to visitors to the UK had stayed a night in another country before or after
2007. coming to the UK. The results are shown in the table below, with 95%
visiting the UK only on this trip.
% of visitors
Visited Uk only 95%
Visited another country before the Uk 1%
Visited another country after the Uk 2%
Visited another country before & after the Uk 2%
Holiday visits also increased during Oct-Dec, but this increase was offset
by the decrease in Business visits at this time.
April-July had a slightly greater popularity bias for holiday visitors (64%).
Business and VFR visitors were more evenly spread throughout the year.
accommodation type
49% of all nights from France in 2008 were spent as a free guest in the
home of family or friends. 43% of all French visitors (and 86% of VFR
visitors) stayed in this way during their trip to UK.
/www.visitbritain.org/research
35% of visits involved a stay in a hotel or guesthouse - but this accounted

for far fewer nights (only 16%) overall. The majority (67%) of Business
visitors who stay overnight do so in a hotel or guest house - although
typically visits are shorter so impact on nights is less.
22
9) Who is the French Visitor?
France
demographics Key Travelling Group Types
To overcome the fact that a mix of different travel companions could be
in each group, five mutually exclusive “group types” have been created.
In France, the proportion of visitors in each type are as follows:
French visitors are most likely to be found travelling alone or in groups

made up of “other adults”. Holiday visitors are less likely to be alone and
offer quite a good spread of visits within the group types.
Traditional Family Of Spouse / Partner & Children 7%
Spouse / Partner But No Children In Travel Group 20%
Children In Group But No Spouse / Partner 9%
Not Alone, But No Children Or Partner In Group 29%
Travelling Alone 35%
1st timers and repeat Visitors

France has a fairly even balance across the individual age groups. In 2004, 79% of visitors from France had visited the UK previously within
Overall, 41% were aged 25-44 in 2008 (IPS), although the proportion of the last ten years (IPS). Interested by overseas travel, Anglophile and
visitors aged over 55 has steadily increased from 9% in 2000 to 17% in better educated, these baby-boomers are an important target market.
2008. Holiday visitors are quite young - with 55% aged under 35 years.
88% of Business visitors are aged 25-54. VFR visitors have the most
balanced age profile.
Male % Female %
0 -15 10 11
16-24 11 19
25-34 20 21
35-44 23 17
45-54 19 15
55-64 11 13
65+ 6 5
Overall, 53% of visitors were male and 47% female, with Business visits
biased towards males, VFR to females and Holiday evenly balanced.
travelling Companions
In the IPS 2008, we asked visitors to tell us more about their travelling
companions. We asked who accompanied them on their visit, excluding
UK residents they may have visited during the trip.
The chart below shows the percentage of visits which included each
category of travel companion (multiple responses allowed as the
categories are NOT mutually exclusive). The profile for France is
compared to that of the Total World i.e. the average overseas visit to UK.
The French show quite a similar profile to the average overseas visitor.
They are slightly more likely to be part of a tour group than the average
visitor to the UK.
CAUTION: The results do need to be treated with some caution, as even

if a respondent says they are travelling with “Spouse/Partner” and Interest or Potential to Visit Britain
“Child(ren) aged 5-11”, we don’t know from this how many children All groups travel to Britain from France, due to the ease and proximity and
were in the group, or even that the children were those of the therefore five key segments that have been identified below:
respondent (eg they could be grandchildren, nieces / nephews, or even
no blood relation at all). 23
9) Who is the French Visitor? (continued)
France
dInks / sInks
This segment forms the bulk of our visitors to Britain. 31% of French
households are composed of two people, Among them, ABC1
professionals and urban couples/families without children: the Dinks.
With high disposable incomes, residing in predominantly urban
locations, “early adopters” of new consumer trends, free to travel all year
round and showing high propensity to use online services, including low-
cost airlines, the Dinks/Sinks continue to represent a major potential for
Britain. This is the perfect segment for short stays and/or city breaks.
Families
VisitBritain research carried out in 2005 showed that the families
segment offers good potential for future visits to Britain. There is a
feeling among parents that it is their duty to introduce their children to
Britain, whether for language reasons or to simply gain a better
experience of Anglo-Saxon culture. Its proximity and relative security
compared to long-haul destinations make it the ideal destination for
weekend breaks or longer visits, with London standing out as the most
preferred place to visit. Tour operators are seldom used to booking
family holidays, with most going directly to carriers and hotels or booking
online.
Youth (aged 18-24)

The youth segment is one that has strong potential for Britain, both in the
short and long term.This segment displays a positive attitude towards
Britain (music scene, films, shopping, fashion,sports, cities). They are
particularly attracted by our cities and will also visit Britain to visit one of
the estimated 500,000 French professionals or students working and
studying there. There are 7.8 million young people in France aged 15-24
years, representing 13% of the overall population. 77% have access to a
computer at home compared with 59% of the general population. They
constitute 26% of the internet population in France and 47% of the
blogging population. They access the internet for longer periods of time
and more frequently than the general population, looking for peer to
peer sites and opportunities to share growing segment of Internet users, eFL (mostly aged 13-16 on individual trips but also adults on
more likely to speak English business courses)
The study and school trips market produces a potentially lucrative
segment of visitors to Britain from France each year, with the average
study trip worth five times that of a holiday visit. The study market, or
English Language Training, represented 2.3% of total French visits to
Britain in 2005 (IPS). The number one complaint regarding EFL study
trips to Britain is the poor quality of accommodation provided by
homestay families. Staying with a family is a popular choice, giving the
visitor the chance to learn English outside the classroom. However the
absence of any regulation of this type of accommodation has lead to
numerous complaints regarding quality, welcome and the lack of
professionalism. This will affect Britain’s long-term position as market
leader for EFL tourism. Despite these problems, Britain remains the
logical choice for an EFL visit, whether for the youth market or for
executive/professional courses. According to l’OFFICE, Scotland is
currently offered by approximately 20% of their members, well above
Wales (11%) but falling behind London (23%) and England (46%).
seniors (aged 50-64)

A third of the French population is aged 50+, a figure which is due to
increase so that by 2012 those aged 65+ will outnumber those under 20.
The seniors market in fact consists of two types of “senior”, the “young
senior” aged 50-64 and the “senior” aged 65+.
The group of most interest to Britain is the baby-boomer generation -

those currently aged 50-64. These are technologically aware and the
fastest growing segment of Internet users. They are also more likely to
speak English.
24
10) activities Undertaken in Britain
France
What did French Visitors actually do
during their visit to Uk?
In the IPS 2006, 2007, and 2008, visitors were asked if they had taken
part in certain activities during their visit to UK. The chart below shows
the percentage of visitors from France who said they did each of the
listed activities, compared to the average inbound visitor to UK.
The French’s most common activity was eating in restaurants (53%), and
35% went to pubs.
Shopping was also popular, with 43% shopping for clothes/accessories,

and 37% shopping for souvenirs.
Visitors from France often went to Britain’s built heritage, 38% went
sightseeing famous buildings/monuments and 32% visited castles,
churches, monuments, and historic houses. Museums/art galleries were
quite popular (26%) too.
24% visited parks/gardens, whilst 23% explored towns, villages, and

other locations away from where they were staying. 11% went on a
guided tour.
7% went to nightclubs and 6% went to see the performing arts (eg

theatre). Activities like walking in the countryside were more
commonplace (19%).
The following pages show the proportion of Holiday, VFR, and Business
visitors undertaking each activity, to give a more complete understanding

of what each get up to when they visit the UK.
25
10) activities Undertaken in Britain (continued)
France
What did French holiday Visitors actually do
the percentage of Holiday visitors from France who said they did each of
the listed activities, compared to the average inbound Holiday visitor to
UK.
Traditional tourism activities were undertaken frequently by Holiday

visitors from France, such as sightseeing famous monuments/buildings
(63%) and visiting castles, churches, monuments, or historic houses
(62%). 50% went to museums/galleries.
Shopping for clothes/accessories (59%) or souvenirs (58%) was another

very common activity.
However, visitors from France were less inclined to eat in restaurants

(57%) than Holiday visitors from elsewhere (70%), and the same was true
for going to pubs (37% vs. 46%). This suggests that reservations about
British food may influence their behaviour.
42% visited parks/gardens and 27% went walking in the countryside.

35% explored towns or villages away from where they were staying.
In the evening only 6% ended up in a nightclub (compared to 10% of

Holiday visitors from elsewhere) and 10% went to the
theatre/ballet/opera/concert (compared to 18% of Holiday visitors from
elsewhere).
26
7) Product / Market Fit
France
What did French VFr Visitors actually do
part in certain activities during their visit to the UK. The chart below
shows the percentage of VFR visitors from France who said they did each
of the listed activities, compared to the average inbound VFR visitor to
the UK.
Eating in restaurants (58%) was the most undertaken activity by VFR

visitors and going to the pub (47%) was also common too.
VFR visitors from France can often be found shopping for

clothes/accessories (51%) or souvenirs (29%).
However, many VFR visitors also undertook traditional tourism activities,

with 29% sightseeing famous buildings/monuments and 23% visiting
castles, churches, monuments, or historic houses. 19% went to
museums/art galleries.
23% visited parks/gardens. 27% went walking in the countryside and

20% explored towns, villages, and other locations away from where they
were staying.
27
7) Product / Market Fit
France
What did French Business Visitors actually do
the percentage of Business visitors from France who said they did each
of the listed activities, compared to the average inbound Business visitor
to UK.
In 2008, 21% of French Business visitors came for just the day, so it is not
surprising to see that Business visitors undertake slightly fewer activities
in Britain than Business visitors from elsewhere. However, 43% of
Business visitors enjoyed eating in restaurants and one in five went to the
pub.
13% went shopping for clothes/accessories and 9% managed some

sightseeing of famous monuments/buildings.
28
11) caring for the French Visitor
France
Understanding French Culture Table manners are continental so the fork is held in the left hand and the
The French often refer to their nation as a hexagon to describe its six- knife in the right while eating. The French will only begin eating after
sided shape, and this term is also a symbol for the country. someone says 'bon appetit'. In France it is polite to finish everything on
their plate and be warned a nearly full wine glass could indicate they
The French are private people and have different rules of behaviour for don’t want anymore.
people within their social circle and those who are not. Although the
French are generally polite in all dealings, it is only with their close friends Since France has introduced smoking areas into bars and restaurants, it
and family that they are free to be themselves. Friendship brings with it a has positively impacted on the number of French people that smoke.
set of roles and responsibilities, including being available should you be However, be aware that French smokers are used to having their food or
needed. Friendship involves frequent, if not daily, contact. a drink in smoking areas of a restaurant and may find it a bit strange
being asked to smoke outside.
In public spaces, they generally don’t smile at strangers or make eye
contact with them and keep their voices low when speaking. Privacy is
also maintained in homes, so that doors to bedrooms and bathrooms are Accommodation
kept closed. The French prefer to stay in mid-range accommodation. In a hotel, they
expect a clean bedroom with private bathroom and toilet.Their own hotel
The Family bedrooms tend to be functional, clean and good value.
The family is the social adhesive of the country and each member has
certain duties and responsibilities. The extended family provides both Country house hotels are popular in France (Relais et Chateaux, etc), but
emotional and financial support. Despite their reputation as romantics, a British equivalent must be similar in terms of value for money.
the French have a practical approach towards marriage. Families have
few children, but parents take their role as guardians and providers very Bed and breakfasts are popular, but the French prefer mid-range and
seriously. above rather than budget.
Language / Information Provision Youth travellers prefer to opt for youth hostels or
Some French are reluctant to speak English through a lack of confidence. universityaccommodation, again because price is an issue.
If you can welcome them with a few basic French words, they will
appreciate your efforts and will be happy to answer in English. As in many Latin countries, many French people are smokers. A
designated smoking area in public places is appreciated
French people look for good deals. Advise them on shops or restaurants
where they can find special promotions or discounts. They will be Importance of Quality
grateful to you for these ‘bons tuyaux’ (good tips). TNS Visitor Satisfaction Research (2007) highlighted the importance of
being friendly and welcoming, giving good customer service, providing
Food and Drink information in French, offering value for money (and highlighting where
Food is one of the great passions of the French people. French cooking they can get good quality without it costing the earth). Good quality
is highly refined and involves careful preparation, attention to detail, and accommodation and ideas on where to get high quality food would be
the use of fresh ingredients. It varies by region and is heavily influenced particularly appreciated.
by what is grown locally.
Interests
Although they like to change their habits during their holidays (even The French "national" sport is football (soccer), colloquially called 'le
when it comes to food), there are some areas where the French will not foot'. The most-watched sports in France are football, rugby union,
make concessions. Food and drink quality will always be compared with basketball, cycling, sailing and tennis. France is notable for holding (and
France. winning) the football World Cup in 1998, for holding the annual cycling
race Tour de France, and the tennis Grand Slam tournament Roland
Meals are ritualised, and full of social and cultural meaning. There are Garros, or the French Open.
also political aspects to the meaning of food. For instance, there has
recently been much concern about the quality of "engineered" food and
a rejection of foods that have been genetically altered.
The three main meals are le petit déjeuner (break-fast), le déjeuner

(lunch), and le dîner (dinner). Although the midday meal is still the main
meal in rural areas, there is a tendency for families to eat the largest meal
in the evening. Breakfast is a light meal of bread, cereal, yogurt, and
coffee or hot chocolate. Lunch and dinner generally involve several
courses, at minimum a first course ( l'entree ) and a main dish ( le plat ),
followed by cheese and/or dessert.
Provide them with bread during lunch or dinner, and don’t take it away
until the end of the meal.If they ask for water, provide a carafe (not
glasses) without ice and lemon.
Their preferred coffee is espresso (short and strong) and they like to
spend time over their meals. The more the coffee tastes like a French
expresso the better it is!
Undoubtedly used to good service and hard to please, they criticise

easily. Be patient, smile and offer explanations and a helping hand should
a problem arise.
29
12) The Trade
France
overview of trade structure French travel agencies
The French travel trade is made up of tour operators, coach operators, Their primary aim is to sell transport and also packages set up by tour
and travel agencies. In addition, associations such as walking clubs will operators. In 2008/9, there were circa 3,515 agencies in France. 2,460
also organise holidays for their members, as will the Comités licensed agencies are members of SNAV (Syndicat National des Agences
d’Entreprises (every company with 50 or more employees must give de Voyages) with nearly 32% of the agencies concentrated in the Paris
between 0.2% and 5% of turnover to this “social club”, which then area. Bookings are made by the client themselves direct with the
organises staff trips or proposes trips to employees at discounted rates). accommodation provider and carrier.
type of travel operators Hypermarkets

Tour operators: sell their product through their own network or They sell through dedicated Internet sites and/or call centres. Some
independent travel agencies Increasingly, they also sell directly to the examples: Leclerc Voyages (travel agent with 156 outlets); Voyages
consumer through the Internet. Carrefour: (travel agent with 91 outlets); Auchan Voyages: (call centre
and website only). The tendency has been for them to offer time-
According to research undertaken by Raffour Interactif, the French use restrictive but very attractively priced offers to supermarket clientèle.
the following intermediaries for booking trips abroad:
• 53% travel agency or tour operator Online travel agency
• 13% association Top 5 agencies overall (FEVAD) :
• 1% tourist office • Voyages-sncf.com
• 13% other • Promovacances
• Marmara
Travel agencies: usually sell products produced by tour or coach
• Lastminute.com
operators. Some travel agencies, however, also have a group department
• VoyagePrive
that organises holidays for associations.
There exist numerous online travel agencies that cater for British breaks:
Coach operators: usually sell their products (coach tours) through their • www.promovacances.com and www.karavel.com – part of the same
own network or independent travel agencies. group
• www.WElondres.com
French tour operators • www.expedia.fr
In 2009, there were approx 55 tour operators organising regular tours to
• www.Lastminute.fr
Britain. There are five types of French operators:
• www.Opodo.fr
1. ‘Généralistes’ – top national tour operators who produce one or • www.Ebookers.fr
more large brochures (eg Nouvelles Frontières, Thomas Cook). Britain as
a destination is included in these. However, a separate brochure on reaching the French Consumer
Britain is produced in some cases (eg Gaeland Ashling ). These packages Guide Books
are sold through their own network of travel agencies, as well as through The most popular guidebooks in France are Guide Routard, Michelin,
independent travel agencies. Guide Hachette, Petit Futé and Lonely Planet.
Clientele: mostly individuals although the larger operators will have a
groups department. Consumer Exhibitions
VisitBritain recommends some exhibitions targeting the French
2. ‘spécialistes’ – smaller operators who specialise in specific consumer such as:
destinations or in specific activities. (eg Comptoirs de Pays Celtes). Most
carriers, whether air or sea, have their own tours. They sell directly as Les Salons du Tourisme 2010
well as through some independent and networked travel agencies. • Mahana Toulouse( 5-7 February )
Clientele: mostly individuals. • Tourissima Lille (26-28 February)
• Mahana Marseille (26-28 February)
3. Coach operators – there are about 2,500 coach operators in France, • Mahana Lyon (5-7 March )
1,500 of which are members of the Fédération Nationale des Transports
de Voyageurs, FNTV (which SNET has fused with). SNET is the Syndicat
Salon International du Tourisme de Rennes, 5-7 February 2010
National des Entreprises de Tourisme). Coach travel in France accounts
Salon International du Tourisme de Nantes, 22-24 January 2010
for 10.5% of European travel.
Le Monde à Paris 18-22 March 2010 (general public)
Clientele: groups (à la carte or with pre-determined date departures).
Consumer Niche Exhibitions
4. associations – they sell to their own club members or defined
market segments (eg comités d’entreprise, school groups, groups with a •Salon des Randonnées 26-28 March 2010
cultural interest). •Salon du Golf in Paris 20-22 March 2010
Clientele: groups only. •Salon du Golf in Lyon 27-28 March 2010
5. agency networks: sell their own products as well as others eg

Thomas Cook, Carlson Wagonlit, Selectour, Fram Voyages. Clientele:
mostly individuals.
30
12) The Trade - reaching the French travel trade
France
Conducting Business in France etiquette
Greeting Appointments are necessary and should be made at least 2 weeks in
The handshake is a common form of greeting and friends greet each advance. Appointments may be made in writing or by telephone and,
other by lightly kissing on the cheeks, once on the left cheek and once depending upon the level of the person you are meeting, are often
on the right cheek. Be careful of using first names as they are usually handled by the secretary. Meetings are to discuss issues, not to make
reserved for family and close friends. You should wait until invited before decisions. Never turn up without an appointment. Be punctual in case
using someone's first name. your contact has a tight schedule but be prepared to wait at least 15
minutes.
timing
July and August are quiet months for travel agents. However, the Personal relationships are very important to the French and take time to
contacts you wish to see may well be on holiday! Tour operators prepare build. Be patient. Give your contact the impression he/she is getting
their spring/summer brochures in November / December and their special attention. Make sure you follow up on your visits. Your future
autumn/winter brochures in May/June. business depends on that as much as on the visit itself. If you are asked
for a quote, send it straight away.
If you expect to be delayed for a meeting, telephone immediately and
offer an explanation. relationships
French business behaviour emphasises courtesy and a degree of
Language / currency formality. Mutual trust and respect is required to get things done and
Use your French or come along with someone who speaks French. It is trust is earned through proper behaviour.
likely that your contact will be happy to speak English with you, after you
have made an effort in French. If you do not speak French, an apology for Creating a wide network of close personal business alliances is very
not knowing their language may aid in developing a relationship is important. In business, the French often appear extremely direct because
appreciated. It is always a good idea to learn a few key phrases, since it they are not afraid of asking probing questions. The French will carefully
demonstrates an interest in a long-term relationship. It is highly analyze every detail of a proposal, regardless of how minute. Business is
recommended that you have brochures in French or at least a fact sheet hierarchical. Decisions are generally made at the top of the company.
presenting your product. Remember to quote your prices either directly Business is conducted slowly. You will have to be patient and not appear
in euros or in £ with current euro equivalent. ruffled by the strict adherence to protocol.
Business Cards The French are often impressed with good debating skills that
Business cards are exchanged after the initial introductions without demonstrate an intellectual grasp of the situation and all the
formal ritual. Have the other side of your business card translated into ramifications. Never attempt to be overly friendly. The French generally
French. Although not a business necessity, it demonstrates an attention compartmentalize their business and personal lives. Discussions may be
to detail that will be appreciated. Include any advanced academic heated and intense.
degrees on your business card. French business cards are often a bit
larger than in many other countries. High-pressure sales tactics should be avoided. The French are more
receptive to a low-key, logical presentation that explains the advantages
dress etiquette of a proposal in full. When an agreement is reached, the French may
Business dress is understated and stylish. Men should wear dark- insist it be formalized in an extremely comprehensive, precisely worded
coloured, conservative business suits for the initial meeting. How you contract.Written communication is formal. Secretaries often schedule
dress later is largely dependent upon the personality of the company meetings and may be used to relay information from your French
with which you are conducting business. business colleagues.
transport travel trade exhibitions

Allow plenty of time between appointments, especially in Paris and Ile de IFTM Top Resa – 21-24 September 2010
France. Remember to ask for the nearest Metro station – this will help Porte de Versailles, Paris
you to locate the address more easily and avoid traffic jams. Transport in French travel trade show of the year attended by circa 26,000
Paris: the underground system is very good and easy to use. professionals.
You can get a daily pass but make sure you buy one that covers the zones MAP Pro
you are planning to visit. Taxis are available, but it is best to book 21-22 October 2010
beforehand (average cost for a ride in the centre of Paris is 20 euros, Porte de Versailles, Paris
much higher if you go out to the suburbs). From Roissy airport, you can French ‘Group’ travel trade show of the year. Circa 4,500 visitors and
use the Roissybus, which will drop you behind the Opera, or the RER – 500 exhibitors.
suburban express to Auber – both in the heart of Paris.
Salons de Comités d’Entreprise – various regional dates in 2010
31
12) The Trade (continued)
France
Public holidays 2010 Useful Contacts and associations
1 January New Year’s Day SNAV – Organisation Nationale des Professionnels du Tourisme.
5 apr Easter Monday www.snav.org
1 May Labour Day
8 May Fête de la Victoire 1945 (WWII Victory Day) SNAV represents 70% of French travel agencies, approx 2,460 travel
13 May Ascension Day agencies. It exists to defend travel agencies in dealings and negotiations
24 May Whit Monday with national and European powers, as well as key tourism players such
14 July Bastille Day (Fête nationale) as airlines, ferries and train operators.
15 august Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Assomption)
1 november All Saints Day (La Toussaint) CETO – Centre d’Etudes des Tours Opérateurs. www.ceto.to
11 november Remembrance Day Created 30 or so years ago, CETO brings together 70 key Tour
25 december Christmas Day (Noël) Operators. It’s principal objective is to promote these Tour Operators on
26 december 2nd Day of Christmas (in Alsace & Moselle only) the French consumer market by providing a guarantee of service.
Note that holidays falling at the weekend are not moved and when a SNET – Syndicat National des Entreprises de Tourisme. www.snet.fr
holiday falls on a Tuesday or Thursday, many French people may take the National body representing the French coach operator industry.
respective Monday or Friday off as well which is know as ‘Faire le Pont’. Recently formed alliance with FNTV (Fédération Nationale des
This is not official and does not apply to institutions such as banks or Transports de Voyageurs).
government, but can cause difficulties doing business on occasions.
32
13) Business Visits & events
France
Business Visits statistics
22% of travel from France to the UK was for business purposes, and this
accounted for 23% of spend (IPS) in 2008.
During 2008 French business visits were made up of 15% Conferences,

Large Meetings, Trade Fairs or Exhibitions and 85% individual business
travel.
Business Visitors France Visits 2008 (000) Business Visits (%) spend 2008 (£m) Business spend (%)
Trade Fair / Exhibition 27 3% 12 5%
Conference / Large Meeting 98 12% 40 16%
Other Business 685 85% 189 79%
All Business Visits 810 100% 241 100%
Business Visitors France aeV (£) aed (£) aLs (nights)
Trade Fair / Exhibition 445 200 2.2
(Source: IPS)
Conference / Large Meeting 405 183 2.2
Other Business 276 82 3.4
All Business Visits 297 93 3.2
Business Visits trends The main destinations within Britain are London and Scotland, principally
Traditionally the French have always favoured the sunshine destinations Edinburgh. French are attracted by our culture, heritage, eccentricity and
but European cities, culture, prestige and history continue to be sought creativity and country house hotels are particularly popular.
after.
The Eurostar link to Kent and London offers good access, especially for
The French generally are trying to get more out of their leisure time and groups, and London is considered the gateway to the rest of Britain.
are constantly looking to improve their lifestyles both physically and Awareness of other destinations in the UK is, however, low but the
culturally and this is being reflected in their incentive and meeting French would certainly be prepared to try new places.
destinations and activities.
They have a perception of the English countryside in their minds and
A younger group of people may still prefer good entertainment and would like to see exactly that image so there is also the issue of matching
nightlife but the older more traditional and experienced travellers are with their expectations.
looking for prestige and culture. Groups, however, are looking for that
surprise element in any trip. The most important factors when choosing a destination are:
• Ease of access
Corporate meetings and conferences tend to stay in France as the • Value for money
French product is so varied, quick and easy to book and excellent value • Good organisation / logistics
for money. • Comfort and friendliness
• Original, creative and surprise elements
These groups are simply looking to get away from the office although • Product must be of a high standard, appropriate, relevant and connected
there is a marked increase in the number of companies organising to the corporate message, image and objectives of the company
meetings and incentives abroad where a change of scene is more
important. Within Europe, major competitors are the French domestic market,
Ireland, Spain, Italy and North Africa, which is a real competitor product
They are looking to overseas destinations to provide new influences, in that it is original, good value and is also French speaking.
different products, creativity, originality and essentially something that
can’t be done at home. In the long haul market, exotic sun and sand are still the favoured
elements with the traditional DOM TOMS (French overseas colonies)
The typical French incentive group averages about 30 people with such as the Reunion Islands, Mauritius and Guadeloupe, reaping most of
meetings averaging around 70 people. Trips are mainly aimed at sales the incentive business as well as the Caribbean.
teams as well as entertaining clients.
During 2009, budgets for both corporate and incentive travel have been
Participants are still mainly male aged 30-50. The length of trip is limited. There is a shortening of trips and increased use of remote
normally around two to three days if staying in Europe and although meetings ( via video or web).
companies are very budget conscious, they are not necessarily looking
for the cheapest option – more value for money. It is normal to get at least five quotes per trip so competition is fierce.
The main locations in France for companies organising corporate travel

are Paris and the surrounding areas (around 80%) along with the
emerging regions of the South East of France including Lyon, Marseille
plus Nice and Lille in the North.
33
13) Business Visits & events (continued)
France
Business Visits trade structure companies have their own travel departments. Most have a contract with
By law in France companies have to book all overseas corporate travel an external agent which still allows some degree of flexibility for the
through a licensed agent although there is nothing to stop corporates corporate.
organising their own events directly with the suppliers if they are prepared
to take the risk (i.e. essentially an insurance one). The problem arises In terms of keeping the trade and corporates informed, most get their
where companies use intermediaries who are not licensed to organise information from the press, word of mouth, trade fairs and workshops and
travel as this has huge insurance implications if something goes wrong. online to source specific information.
A segment of unlicensed intermediaries is made up of advertising In terms of further information, they particularly want to know more on
agencies, communication agencies, event organisers and travel managers. special events, hotels, country house properties, DMCs and original
Companies are booking through these intermediaries simply because they incentive activities.
are producing the ideas, and most companies trust them as they have
probably been using them for years for advertising and communications.
The Anaé Tourisme d’Affaires association (ANAE) is the official body

representing agents in France who organise overseas corporate travel.
Members comprise event organisers, Plus conference and incentive travel
organisers. For more information see anae.org
It very much depends on the trip as to whether the client goes directly to
the supplier or through an agent and it is worth noting that very few
34
14) VisitBritain in France
France
Working in Partnership with VisitBritain strategic Partner Contacts / Further Information
There are many ways of working in partnership with VisitBritain. In Visitengland
agreement with our strategic partners – VisitScotland, Visit Wales, www.enjoyengland.com/corporate/corporate-information/index.aspx
VisitEngland and Visit London, we operate the Overseas Network as a Visit Wales
platform for the five brands and will continue to http://new.wales.gov.uk/about/organisationexplained/?lang=en
deliver the following activity in all these markets on behalf of these Visit London
brands and the travel industry. www.visitlondonmediacentre.com/about_us/
Visitscotland
Britain marketing will be delivered as specified: www.visitscotland.org/about_us.htm
Strategic partners lead on marketing their brands in a competitive
approach. Any Britain work will be global in nature, centrally led and
Information sources Used to Compile this report
delivered in partnership with the Overseas Network.
• International Passenger Survey figures (IPS) (Office for
National Statistics)
In all of our markets of operation we provide a marketing service to the
tourism industry.
nB: Data from International Passenger Survey has been made available
•Gathering and disseminating the latest market intelligence and insights by the Office for National Statistics and has been used by permission.
•Developing and maintaining relationships with the media and the The ONS do not bear any responsibility for the analysis or interpretation
leisure and business tourism travel trade of the data reported here.
•Providing targeted online travel and tourism information
• Anholt-GMI Nation Brands Index – 2006 & 2007
For more details on these and other diverse opportunities in markets of • Anholt-GfK Nation Brands Index – 2008 & 2009
interest to you, please visit our UK Industry Website and read our • VisitBritain/TNS Visitor Satisfaction Research 2007
worldwide marketing prospectus, or contact your VisitBritain • Eye for Travel European Online Travel Report 2007
representative in London or overseas. • VisitBritain Foresight – July 2005
www.visitbritain.org • IMF / Economist / US Census Bureau
• CIA World Fact Book https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-
overseas Contacts world-factbook/index.html
VisitBritain • BBC websites
7 rue de Bucarest • Tourism Decision Metrics, Tourism Economics
75008 • WTO (World Tourism Organisation)
Paris • FCO (Foreign & Commonwealth Office)
• UCAS (Universities and Colleges Admissions Service)
http://www.ucas.com/
karen Clarkson • ETC (European Travel Commission) and ETC Media Trendwatch
Manager, France and Benelux • Internet World Stats 2009
+ 331 58 36 50 89 • VisitBritain France Business Plans, Insights and Intelligence Reports
karen.clarkson@visitbritain.org • SNET (Syndicat National des Entreprises de Tourisme) – www.snet.fr
• SNAV (Syndicat National des Agents de Voyages) – www.snav.org
Florence Valette • Direction de Tourisme (Ministre délégué au Tourisme)
Press and PR Manager • Raffour Interactif 2007
+ 331 58 36 50 70 • Tarif Media 2007
florence.valette@visitbritain.org • UK Census 2001
• VisitEngland Qualtiative research 2007
sophie hook • Oxford Economic Country Brief
B2B Executive •VisitBritain France Business Plans, Insights and Intelligence Reports
T : +331 58 36 50 57 •www.tarifmedia.com
sophie.hook@visitbritain.org •Insee
•Ipsos Strategies
VisitBritain London Contacts / Further Information •Le Journal du Net
For any further information relating to the French market, please contact: •Mediametrie
nikki Buckley •Ipsos Media 2009
Markets Consultant Europe •TNS Global
E: nikki.buckley@visitbritain.org •TNS Sofres
T: 020 75781128 •Médiamétrie/Net Rating
•Fevad
Alternatively, visit VisitBritain’s dedicated website for the UK tourism •Le Journal du Net
industry and a searchable database of all VisitBritain’s Marketing •OJD
Opportunities: •L'Observatoire de la Presse

www.visitbritain.org/opportunitiesadvice/index.aspx •Icotour
•Raffour Interactif
Why not sign up to our industry e-newsletter, or register with •FNTV
VisitBritain to be kept up to date with all that’s new in France •www.pgr.org
and other markets worldwide? •www.ojd.com
www.visitbritain.org/aboutus/newsletter.aspx •www.portail-presse.com
•European Commission Attitudes towards Tourism 2009
35

France Market Profile

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France Market Profile

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France

Contents 1 – the Market 8. travel to Britain

More than one-third of all

• 1/2 term Autumn break - around 24 October to 4 November

Approximately 500 online respondents were asked: “How important a

Taking foreign holidays is at least ‘quite important’ for a slightly smaller

Approximately 500 online respondents were asked: “We would like to

Are the French Experienced Travellers?

VFR 20 23 Environmental considerations 15

Festivals and other events 5 5

Below is a scatter-plot showing how often sources are used for

Printed travel brochures (39%), articles in magazines (39%), travel

Travel guidebooks were also cited as being fairly inspirational (33%)

Overall, respondents used far more information sources during the

An important point to note is that survey findings are weighted to mirror

Guidebooks and magazines (commercial) 5 decision to travel Lead times

Planning accommodation is more time consuming and can be

Top 5 search engines: Google, Google images, Bing, Voilà, Yahoo

“Facebook” was the most used keyword in France in March 2009,

Top Reasons for Using Social Networking Sites:

1.6 million of French internet users aged 15 to 24-years-old are

They watched a total of 2.5 billion videos in January 2009, an average of

• Short clear texts, visuals and an intuitive navigation.

Nearly a third (32%) of Internet users in France consulted each month

Top 5 "Online Travel Agents" websites in France - first quarter 2009:

Food publications: Cuisine & Vins de France (220,583), Maxi Cuisine

Gardens and lifestyle magazines: Détente Jardin (302,560), Maison

Mon Jardin & Ma Maison (215,137), Rustica Hebdo (222,563), Marie

travel magazines have no strong influence as French readers are more

travel magazines: Géo (274,464), Hôtel et Lodge (90,000), L’Officiel

shopping 1 Canada 6 Scotland

This is a simplified diagram showing the relative strengths on the

different brand attributes. Respondents were asked to rate Britain on

Weaknesses within this area include the attribute, ‘always something

VITALITY attributes were not rated particularly highly by French

Outbound travel from France is forecast to fall in 2009, but visitor

The UK’s Market Share and Forecasts for Growth

key source regions of France

total Visits 3,403,945 3,636,332 7%

aLs rank 40 42 down 2 places

Visitors from Visitors from

35% of visits involved a stay in a hotel or guesthouse - but this accounted

French visitors are most likely to be found travelling alone or in groups

1st timers and repeat Visitors

CAUTION: The results do need to be treated with some caution, as even

Youth (aged 18-24)

seniors (aged 50-64)

The group of most interest to Britain is the baby-boomer generation -

Shopping was also popular, with 43% shopping for clothes/accessories,

24% visited parks/gardens, whilst 23% explored towns, villages, and

7% went to nightclubs and 6% went to see the performing arts (eg

visitors undertaking each activity, to give a more complete understanding

Traditional tourism activities were undertaken frequently by Holiday

Shopping for clothes/accessories (59%) or souvenirs (58%) was another

However, visitors from France were less inclined to eat in restaurants

42% visited parks/gardens and 27% went walking in the countryside.

In the evening only 6% ended up in a nightclub (compared to 10% of

Eating in restaurants (58%) was the most undertaken activity by VFR

VFR visitors from France can often be found shopping for

However, many VFR visitors also undertook traditional tourism activities,

23% visited parks/gardens. 27% went walking in the countryside and

13% went shopping for clothes/accessories and 9% managed some