FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE — September 21, 2015 update
"Rendezvous en France" at BEST OF FRANCE® on Times Square in New York City - Get inspired to travel to France at the largest French event ever organized outside of France, September 26-27, 2015
New York, September 2, 2015 — On September 26 and 27 in New York City, the world's most-visited country takes up weekend residence in America's most-visited tourist attraction. Dominating Broadway at Times Square for several blocks north of 38th Street, BEST OF FRANCE® will come to life as a free smorgasbord of more than 150 exhibitors celebrating France's incomparable savoir-faire. The France Tourism Development Agency Atout France and more than 30 partners will be prominent in the mix in a block-long "Rendezvous en France" area dedicated to tourism.
This largest French event ever organized outside of France will also be one of the grandest extravaganzas ever to unfold on Times Square, second only to the annual New Year's Eve celebration. Formerly known as Taste of France and last held in 2013, BEST OF FRANCE® this year is expected to welcome approximately 500,000 visitors to the festival grounds with a sweeping display of all things French, including fashion, beauty, gastronomy, tourism, art, culture, a technology village and a live performance area that will feature, among others, dancers from the Moulin Rouge on stage in New York City for the first time in 126 years.
Commanding the southern entry to the festival, the "Rendezvous en France" area dedicated to tourism will fill Broadway between 41st and 42nd Streets. In that space, Atout France and more than 30 partners will showcase the rich diversity of travel offerings that have anchored France at the top of the world's most-visited country list for many years. At the Atout France corner there will be a "Fall for France" photo exhibit, a unique traveling photo exposé by Braden Summers and Sophie Holubinka capturing the romantic and ethereal spirit of France in a highly artistic way. Shot in Poitiers, Nice, Marseille, Dijon and Reims, the exhibit displays some of the truly enchanting qualities of these top French cities.
Select regions of France, like Aquitaine, Paris Region, Midi-Pyrenees, Normandy, Rhône-Alps and islands in the French West Indies (Guadeloupe, Martinique and Saint Martin), will be represented alongside cities like Paris, Lyon, Marseille, Chamonix, Enghien and Cannes. The regions will be accompanied by partner companies epitomize French know-how and two areas will be dedicated to Impressionism and WWI commemorations and destinations. Also on hand will be hotels (Relais & Châteaux, Lucien Barrière), airlines (Norwegian), river and canal cruise operators (Le Boat, Croisi Europe), train travel representatives (Rail Europe), tour operators and travel agencies (Back Roads Touring, Liberty Travel), and others (France Surgery, National Monuments Center). Consult the document below for a list of partners and their news. For more on the Atout France travel partners of Best of France® visit bestoffrance.rendezvousenfrance.com
With the exception of a few special events requiring either paid entry or a personal invitation, BEST OF FRANCE® is free and open to everyone from 10am to 8pm on Saturday, September 26, and 10am¬ to 7pm on Sunday, September 27. Although exclusively funded through private sponsorship, BEST OF FRANCE® will be officially launched by French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius.
BEST OF FRANCE® is a non-profit organization whose purpose is to promote the image of France abroad through major events that highlight the expertise and “savoir-faire” of France. Visitors will have the opportunity to experience France in a brand new way through events and programs that explore the diversity of the French world through its cuisine, lifestyle, tourism, fashion, culture, technology and innovation.
Atout France Atout France, the France Tourism Development Agency, is the sole national organization responsible for the development and promotion of tourism to France. As an association of public and private interests, Atout France is charged with supporting tourism to France and assisting its partners internationally through its network of 35 offices in 32 countries. Atout France is also responsible for assisting regions, counties, towns and cities in the development and modernization of their tourism assets, as well as for administering France’s new hotel rating system. For more information on France, visit the official Atout France website in the United States: http://us.rendezvousenfrance.com
