France - Travel and Tourism (TRA)France – Travel and Tourism
Overview
(total market size = (total local production + imports) - exports)
(Figures in USD millions; * Estimated figures)
Sources: U.S. Department of Commerce, International Trade Administration, National: Travel & Tourism Office
French government, Etudes et Statistiques,
The United States remains one of the top choices among long-haul destinations for French travelers. In 2017, France ranked third among European markets after the United Kingdom and Germany, and ninth in the world after Canada, Mexico, U.K., Japan, China, South Korea, Germany and Brazil as an overseas source of income for the tourism industry in the U. S.
Best Prospects
The French market is dynamic and stable. More than 1.7 million travelers from France visited the United States in 2017 and France was the eleventh in terms of spending. They spent a record-setting of $5.8 billion. From January to October 2018, the U.S. welcomed 1,529,944 French travelers (+ 6.6%).
Opportunities
The United States is a popular destination for the French travelers, ranked number one among long-distance destinations. California, the U.S. National Parks, New York and Florida remain favorite destinations. Other regions such as the Southwest, Rocky Mountain states and Louisiana are becoming popular, particularly with second or third-time visitors. The French are highly fond of culture and history. Many French travelers choose cities renowned for their artwork or museums (New York, Washington D.C., Boston, Chicago). Additionally, images of cowboys and Native Americans surrounded by open spaces, as made popular by American TV shows and movies remain vivid in the French imagination, which explains why Western states such as Arizona, Utah, Nevada, Colorado, and New Mexico are popular in France.
The French have five weeks of paid vacation per year. The average length of stay in the United States is approximately two weeks. The French are very individualistic in their travel behavior, which explains why 70% choose “Fly and Drive” options. Nevertheless, some travelers, mainly retired people, prefer organized trips.
Eleven carriers offer non-stop flights from France to the United States. The U.S. carriers are American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and United. The European carriers are Air France, Air Tahiti Nui, French Bee, Corsair, Level, La Compagnie, Norwegian Air Shuttle, and XL Airways.
The Visit USA Committee France
U.S. Commercial Service in France works closely with the Visit USA Committee, a private industry association aimed at promoting the United States as a travel and tourism destination. The Committee, with 150 members, is one of the biggest in the world.
The Visit USA Committee organizes a wide range of promotional actions: travel trade fairs, consumer fairs, workshops, and e-learning programs for travel agents, video clips, and monthly newsletters dedicated to the trade, press, and consumers. They publish travel planners, maps, and posters. They have a dynamic website, and they are in all the major social media networks, including facebook, twitter and Instagram.
Visit USA Committee France: www.office-tourisme-usa.com
Contact for information and registration: Delphine Aubert, Communication & Marketing Manager, d.aubert@office-tourisme-usa.com
Facebook: https//www.facebook.com/pages/Visit-USA-Committee-France
Twitter: @OTdesUSA, https://twitter.com/parisotc?lang=en
Instagram: Office du Tourisme des USA
Brand USA
Established by the Travel promotion Act in 2010, Brand USA is a non-profit, private-public partnership that promotes increased inbound international travel to the United States. Brand USA is financed by a fee assessed on international visitors applying for entry into the United States under the Visa Waiver Program and matching resources provided by private sector partners.
www.thebrandusa.com
Brand USA publishes a “Travel USA” Guide in French and a culinary guide in English. The guides are distributed in all the major trade and consumer fairs organized by the Visit USA Committee in France.
www.VisitTheUSA.com
Trade Fair
Major travel trade fair: IFTM (International French Travel Market)
Location: Paris – Expo Porte de Versailles
Dates: October 1-4, 2019
Number of visitors: 40,000
Show Organizer: Reed Exhibitions France
Website: www.iftm.fr
Brand USA will organize a Brand USA pavilion at IFTM 2019 with the collaboration of the Visit USA Committee and the U.S. Commercial Service at the American Embassy Paris. The Brand USA pavilion will host 40 U.S. exhibitors.
For Registration: B-For / Exhibitpro, partner of Brand USA
Contact: Michael Walsh, mwalsh@exhibitpro.com
Website: www.brandusapavilion.com
Consumer Fairs
The Visit USA Committee will have a USA presence in two major consumer fairs in 2019, with the collaboration of the U.S. Commercial Service, APPs and Brand USA.
March 8-10, 2019: Mahana in Lyon
November 9-11, 2019 : Salon du Tourisme de Colmar
Workshops
The Visit USA Committee will organize 3 workshops for travel agencies in 2019, with the collaboration of the U.S. Commercial Service, APPs and Brand USA.
November 21, 2019: Lyon
November 26, 2019: Bordeaux
November 28, 2019: Paris
Web Resources
Visit USA Committee France: www.office-tourisme-usa.com
Brand USA: www.thebrandusa.com, www.VisitTheUSA.com
IFTM (International French Travel Market): www.iftm.fr
U.S. travel destinations intersted in more information on the above trade fairs and events or the French tourism market generally should contact:
U.S. Embassy – U.S. Commercial Service
Valérie Ferrière, Trade Specialist,
Tel: (33) 1 43 12 70 77, Valerie.Ferriere@trade.gov Prepared by our U.S. Embassies abroad. With its network of 108 offices across the United States and in more than 75 countries, the U.S. Commercial Service of the U.S. Department of Commerce utilizes its global presence and international marketing expertise to help U.S. companies sell their products and services worldwide. Locate the U.S. Commercial Service trade specialist in the U.S. nearest you by visiting http://export.gov/usoffices.
| 2016 | 2017 | 2018* | 2019* | |
| Number of French travelers in the U.S. | 1.63 | 1.70 | 1.80 | 1.87 |
| French spending in the U.S. | $5.7 | $6.1 | $6.46 | N/A |
| Exchange Rate 1 Euro | USD1.106 | USD1.129 | USD1.81 | USD1.14 |
(Figures in USD millions; * Estimated figures)
Sources: U.S. Department of Commerce, International Trade Administration, National: Travel & Tourism Office
French government, Etudes et Statistiques,
The United States remains one of the top choices among long-haul destinations for French travelers. In 2017, France ranked third among European markets after the United Kingdom and Germany, and ninth in the world after Canada, Mexico, U.K., Japan, China, South Korea, Germany and Brazil as an overseas source of income for the tourism industry in the U. S.
Best Prospects
The French market is dynamic and stable. More than 1.7 million travelers from France visited the United States in 2017 and France was the eleventh in terms of spending. They spent a record-setting of $5.8 billion. From January to October 2018, the U.S. welcomed 1,529,944 French travelers (+ 6.6%).
Opportunities
The United States is a popular destination for the French travelers, ranked number one among long-distance destinations. California, the U.S. National Parks, New York and Florida remain favorite destinations. Other regions such as the Southwest, Rocky Mountain states and Louisiana are becoming popular, particularly with second or third-time visitors. The French are highly fond of culture and history. Many French travelers choose cities renowned for their artwork or museums (New York, Washington D.C., Boston, Chicago). Additionally, images of cowboys and Native Americans surrounded by open spaces, as made popular by American TV shows and movies remain vivid in the French imagination, which explains why Western states such as Arizona, Utah, Nevada, Colorado, and New Mexico are popular in France.
The French have five weeks of paid vacation per year. The average length of stay in the United States is approximately two weeks. The French are very individualistic in their travel behavior, which explains why 70% choose “Fly and Drive” options. Nevertheless, some travelers, mainly retired people, prefer organized trips.
Eleven carriers offer non-stop flights from France to the United States. The U.S. carriers are American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and United. The European carriers are Air France, Air Tahiti Nui, French Bee, Corsair, Level, La Compagnie, Norwegian Air Shuttle, and XL Airways.
The Visit USA Committee France
U.S. Commercial Service in France works closely with the Visit USA Committee, a private industry association aimed at promoting the United States as a travel and tourism destination. The Committee, with 150 members, is one of the biggest in the world.
The Visit USA Committee organizes a wide range of promotional actions: travel trade fairs, consumer fairs, workshops, and e-learning programs for travel agents, video clips, and monthly newsletters dedicated to the trade, press, and consumers. They publish travel planners, maps, and posters. They have a dynamic website, and they are in all the major social media networks, including facebook, twitter and Instagram.
Visit USA Committee France: www.office-tourisme-usa.com
Contact for information and registration: Delphine Aubert, Communication & Marketing Manager, d.aubert@office-tourisme-usa.com
Facebook: https//www.facebook.com/pages/Visit-USA-Committee-France
Twitter: @OTdesUSA, https://twitter.com/parisotc?lang=en
Instagram: Office du Tourisme des USA
Brand USA
Established by the Travel promotion Act in 2010, Brand USA is a non-profit, private-public partnership that promotes increased inbound international travel to the United States. Brand USA is financed by a fee assessed on international visitors applying for entry into the United States under the Visa Waiver Program and matching resources provided by private sector partners.
www.thebrandusa.com
Brand USA publishes a “Travel USA” Guide in French and a culinary guide in English. The guides are distributed in all the major trade and consumer fairs organized by the Visit USA Committee in France.
www.VisitTheUSA.com
Trade Fair
Major travel trade fair: IFTM (International French Travel Market)
Location: Paris – Expo Porte de Versailles
Dates: October 1-4, 2019
Number of visitors: 40,000
Show Organizer: Reed Exhibitions France
Website: www.iftm.fr
Brand USA will organize a Brand USA pavilion at IFTM 2019 with the collaboration of the Visit USA Committee and the U.S. Commercial Service at the American Embassy Paris. The Brand USA pavilion will host 40 U.S. exhibitors.
For Registration: B-For / Exhibitpro, partner of Brand USA
Contact: Michael Walsh, mwalsh@exhibitpro.com
Website: www.brandusapavilion.com
Consumer Fairs
The Visit USA Committee will have a USA presence in two major consumer fairs in 2019, with the collaboration of the U.S. Commercial Service, APPs and Brand USA.
March 8-10, 2019: Mahana in Lyon
November 9-11, 2019 : Salon du Tourisme de Colmar
Workshops
The Visit USA Committee will organize 3 workshops for travel agencies in 2019, with the collaboration of the U.S. Commercial Service, APPs and Brand USA.
November 21, 2019: Lyon
November 26, 2019: Bordeaux
November 28, 2019: Paris
Web Resources
Visit USA Committee France: www.office-tourisme-usa.com
Brand USA: www.thebrandusa.com, www.VisitTheUSA.com
IFTM (International French Travel Market): www.iftm.fr
U.S. travel destinations intersted in more information on the above trade fairs and events or the French tourism market generally should contact:
U.S. Embassy – U.S. Commercial Service
Valérie Ferrière, Trade Specialist,
Tel: (33) 1 43 12 70 77, Valerie.Ferriere@trade.gov Prepared by our U.S. Embassies abroad. With its network of 108 offices across the United States and in more than 75 countries, the U.S. Commercial Service of the U.S. Department of Commerce utilizes its global presence and international marketing expertise to help U.S. companies sell their products and services worldwide. Locate the U.S. Commercial Service trade specialist in the U.S. nearest you by visiting http://export.gov/usoffices.