In case you missed it, on June 30, France and the other Member States of the European Union adopted a recommendation on the reopening of Europe’s external borders from July 1, 2020, to a first list of fourteen countries, including Canada, Japan, South Korea, Australia [this may not be the case considering Covid developments there the past few days] , Thailand, as well as China, subject to reciprocity. This list will be reviewed every two weeks.
In view of the satisfactory epidemiological evolution on European territory, new measures have been adopted following the decisions taken on June 15 with regards to the reopening of European borders (Schengen area) and the opening of borders to international visitors after July 1.
The first countries eligible for this reopening are: Australia, Canada, South Korea, Japan, New Zealand, Rwanda, Thailand, Uruguay, three North African States (Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia), two Eastern European States (Montenegro, Serbia) and Georgia.
The United States, Russia, Israel, Turkey and Saudi Arabia are, at this stage, excluded from this list, as the situation of the Covid-19 pandemic is considered to be more serious there than in Europe. The reopening of borders with China is moreover suspended on the principle of reciprocity (China has not yet reopened its borders to European travellers).
As a reminder, the internal borders of the European Union – Schengen area reopened June 15 (and Spain’s on June 21). All health and security measures are being taken on a case-by-case basis to ensure that the border restrictions are lifted in the best possible conditions.
However, the British government (the United Kingdom being, in the post-Brexit transition period, still considered as an EU Member State) has decided to impose since June 8 a 2-week period quarantine on foreign travellers, therefore France is applying the rule of reciprocity until further notice. However, the 2-week period quarantine measure should evolve in the near-future. For the Silo, Marie-Andree.Boucher.
France was visited by 1.2 million Canadians in 2018.
More information on reopening and sanitary precaution’s in France can be found on France.fr.
The number of international travelers from Japan to France is set to grow from 1.1 million in 2019 to 1.3 million in 2023, increasing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4.6%, says GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.
GlobalData’s latest report: ‘Tourism Source Market Insight: Japan’ reveals that the Japanese are specifically drawn to Paris due to their perception that it is a romantic city.
Ralph Hollister, Travel and Tourism Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “This substantial growth forecast illustrates that the Japanese source market is willing to sacrifice affordability and sometimes accessibility due to the cultural draw of a destination. The city is a popular tourist destination due to Japan’s fascination with all things French; cities such as Tokyo are filled with French patisseries and luxury French fashion outlets such as Chanel and Louis Vuitton.”
According to GlobalData, France overtook Guam in 2018 to become the fifth largest outbound market for Japanese travelers. Guam is a destination which is much closer to Japan (average flight time of 3 hours 45 minutes, compared to 12 hours 50 minutes to France), thus making it more accessible and affordable also. However, Japanese travelers are willing to sacrifice these vital aspects of a holiday in order to experience the French tourism product, due to the nation being heavily romanticized by the Japanese media.
Hollister continues, “Air France and New Caledonia-based Aircalin have renewed their codeshare agreement for five years in October 2019. The airlines offer a daily service between Paris and Noumea, with additional frequencies during peak periods and optimized connections at Tokyo Narita and Osaka Kansai airports. This renewal will no doubt contribute to this accelerated growth rate.”
It is clear to see that the majority of Japanese travelers are flocking to Paris, contributing to the growing issue of over-tourism in the capital. Atout France – the national tourism development agency, should focus on promoting less touristic cities to the Japanese source market such as Bordeaux. This city is popular for its gastronomy and many chateaux’s (castles), which are the type of famed stereotypes that attract Japanese travelers.
About GlobalData
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Olivier Perret (Executive Chef), Fisun Ercan (Barbounya & Su), Alexandre Gosselin (Chez Victoire), Christophe Morel (Chocolatier), Antonio Park (Park), Matthieu Saunier (Osco) and Olivier Potier (Pastry Chef). Click here
Brief – An exceptional event at Sofitel Montreal’s Renoir restaurant which organized a special evening combining gastronomy, entertainment and generosity to benefit the Quebec Breast Cancer Foundation and The Cedars Cancer Institute, on January 22nd 2014.
Our Executive Chef, Olivier Perret, who was touched by cancer, gathered his Montreal Chef friends who each prepared a dish as part of the 6-course gourmet menu served that night: Fisun Ercan (Barbounya & Su), Alexandre Gosselin (Chez Victoire), Christophe Morel (Chocolatier), Antonio Park (Park), Matthieu Saunier (Osco) and Olivier Potier (Pastry Chef). See Supplemental below for menu listing CP
The success of that evening was due, for the most part, to the participation of our guests of honour, Ms. Mitsou Gélinas, spokesperson for the Quebec Breast Cancer Foundation, Mr. Andrew Carter, spokesperson for The Cedars Cancer Institute, Ms. Heidi Hollinger, Canadian photographer and Ms. Gabrielle Destroismaisons, Quebec singer.
Many sponsors also took part in the event, including Moët & Chandon, Ogilvy, Maison Birks, Porter Airlines and Pro-Staging, as well as generous donators who contributed prizes for the raffle and auction: Atout France, Club Med, and Air Canada Rouge.
We would also like to thank the Azrieli Foundation for their generous donation, as well as our Sofitel Ambassadors whose fantastic work and involvement to this cause were instrumental in the success of this evening.
All the profits from this event as well as the money raised by the silent auction, more than 27,000$, will be donated to the two foundations.
A registered charity, the Quebec Breast Cancer Foundation has a mission to fund research and innovation, support women affected by the disease and their families, and promote their interests, as well as making breast health a priority through education and awareness initiatives. In the past five years, the Foundation has granted more than $17 million for the fight against breast cancer.
Situated in Montreal, Quebec, The Cedars Cancer Institute is a hospital-based charity whose mission is to provide comprehensive cancer-care and funding to patients and health care professionals at the McGill University Health Centre specifically adult sites the Royal Victoria Hospital and Montreal General Hospital and, through its Sarah Cook Fund to Pediatric Oncology at the Montreal Children’s Hospital. For the Silo, Stéphanie Segoura
From left to right: Mitsou Gélinas (spokesperson for the Quebec Breast Cancer Foundation), Andrew Carter, (spokesperson for the Cedars Cancer Institute), Francine Cléroux (Chief Executive Officer, Quebec Breast Cancer Foundation), Sharon Azrieli Perez (Soprano), Stephanie Segoura (Sofitel Montreal General Manager) and Jeff Shamie (President of The Cedars Cancer Institute).
From left to right: Olivier Potier (Pastry Chef), Christophe Morel (Chocolatier), Fisun Ercan (Barbounya & Su), Olivier Perret (Renoir), Alexandre Gosselin (Chez Victoire), Matthieu Saunier (Osco), Heidi Hollinger (Canadian photographer), Gabrielle Destroismaisons (Quebec singer) and the Chefs joined by Armelle Tardy-Joubert (President Atout France in Canada)
Supplemental- Menu as served-
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