French Tourist Office turns to TV to bolster visitor levels
The French Tourist Office is launching its first TV campaign for almost ten years to stem a fall in UK tourism and protect it against a possible consumer boycott after its nuclear testing in the South Pacific.
Nine million UK tourists visited France in 1994 but that figure fell by ten per cent last year and revenue dropped by 15 per cent.
Extra competition and the relatively expensive cost of French holidays have been cited as the main reasons for tourists staying away. But there is concern that the nuclear tests has also affected people’s decision to travel to France.
The 2.5m campaign, created by EURO RSCG Wnek Gosper, is jointly funded by P&O European Ferries and positions France as a family holiday destination and “yob-free” zone.
“France has been taken for granted,” says the Tourist Office’s marketing director, Dennis Fabri. “There are so many choices now that people have to be reminded just how close it is.
“Nuclear testing is a marginal issue. People decide on holidays for many reasons.” The TV push will be followed in March by poster and press ads.