FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Alongside the French Government, the City of Paris , Alliance 46.2 and some 50 companies and organizations, Atout France will serve as one of the partnering "Ambassadors" of a new social media campaign targeted at boosting Paris as the tourism gateway of France and Europe.
The tragic attacks that hit Paris and the Ile- de- France region on November 13, triggered a collective awareness in the City of Light, France as well as worldwide. In addition to the lives lost and affected, Paris has also been strongly hit with economic blows, most notably to the tourism industry, which supports the livelihood of many in Paris and around France. To help overcome this situation, the aforementioned organizers have launched an ambitious solidarity campaign to reassure and reinforce the attractiveness of Paris as a destination, both with Parisians as French and international visitors. The initiative, #ParisWeLoveYou, denotes a unifying hashtag message "PARIS WILL ALWAYS BE PARIS."
Through a dedicated website, ParisWeLoveYou.fr, the global community is invited to share photos demonstrating their support and affinity of Paris. Organizers hope that the power of social networks creates a collective mobilization momentum. This campaign will be amplified in the following weeks by a physical materialization in the form of a giant hashtag #ParisWeLoveYou in white, on which pictures shared by supporters via social media will be projected. The #ParisWeLoveYou sculpture will be placed in a symbolic place in Paris for all to behold.
All lovers of Paris, in addition to Parisians, are invited to join in this movement of solidarity in the hopes that the world will see and understand that life goes on in Paris; safely, freely and with beauty and pride. Atout France will use its website and worldwide social media networks to boost this campaign in France and abroad. “To join this project, to provide the power of our international network was evident,” commented Christian Mantei, Managing Director of Atout France. "This is also a way to thank all of those who, throughout the world, who for more than a month have already expressed their messages of solidarity." While France aspires to accommodate 100 million tourists in 2020, this campaign of solidarity reaffirms that Paris, gateway to France, remains what it always was: the city we love because she welcomes the world.