FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NEW YORK, May 6, 2014 – The Paris Region Tourist Board launched today the “We are Free. Merci” campaign dedicated to the 70th anniversary of the Liberation of Paris, one of the major turning points—with the D-Day Landings—that led to the end of WWII.

The Paris Region Tourist Board has invited Parisians to take “selfies” in iconic locations and post them on social media with the hashtag #wearefreemerci to celebrate the United States’ key role in the Liberation of Paris and to foster continuing Franco-American friendship.

Participants will post the picture to the "Paris Tourisme" Facebook [2] or their Instagram page at "paris_tourisme" [3] and will automatically be entered into a contest to win a trip for two to New York. The winner of the contest will be drawn from the top ten images that garnered the most likes. In return, New Yorkers and fellow Americans are similarly invited to post selfies in iconic places with the hashtag #youarewelcome on the Paris Tourisme Facebook [2]or the paris_tourisme [3] Instagram page. The winner will likewise be selected from the top ten images with the most likes for a trip for two to Paris. The campaign will officially begin on May 6, 2014 and will run through June 27, 2014.

During his visit to New York, François Navarro, CEO of the Paris Region Tourist Board commented: “We have so many values in common. But what truly unites us is liberty. It has been 70 years since the liberation and since then we have enjoyed that liberty every day. So we wanted to say thank you.”

The effort kicked-off with a press conference and cocktail reception in cooperation with Atout France, the France Tourism Development Agency. The event was held on Wednesday, April 23 at the Park Avenue Armory where archival and contemporary images of Paris were showcased. Photographer and social media maven, Vivienne Gucwa captured the spirit of modern-day Paris with images and video of Vaux-le-Vicomte [4], Versailles [5], Galeries Lafayette Paris Haussmann [6], Citadines Apart'hotel [7], the Seine and more. Using Flixel's groundbreaking living photo software, Cinemagraph Pro for Mac, the elegant beauty of Paris and its surrounding region was brought to life. With Flixel's technology, visual artists can transform short video clips into living photos by selectively animating specific areas of an otherwise still image. For more information about Flixel, please consult their website at flixel.com [8]. To learn more about Vivienne Gucwa's exploration of the Paris Region and its partners, please go to the website www.parisliberated.com [9].

Merci!
Event partners: Paris Region Tourist Board [10], Academie des Arts de Vivre [11], Best Western Plaza Elysées [12], Château of Auvers [13], Château of Esclimont [14], Château of Vaux-le-Vicomte [4], Citadines Apart'hotel [7], Crazy Horse [15], Financier Patisserie [16], Flixel [8], Fontainebleau Tourism Office [17], French for a Day by Shopping Plus [18],French National Monuments [19], Galeries Lafayette Paris Haussmann [6], Great War Museum – Tourism Office of Pays de Meaux [20], Group Timhotel [21], Lactalis [22], Les Trois Petits Cochons [23], Lucien Barrière Hôtels & Casinos [24], Maison Kayser [25], Maison Louis Jadot [26], Meeting the French [27], Moiret sur Loing Barbizon [28], Paris Region Tourism Board [29], Paris, What Else? [30] Transdev Group [31], Versailles Tourism Office [5]

About the Paris Region Tourist Board
The Paris Region Tourist Board is responsible for the promotion of the Paris Region and their travel industry partners worldwide, by informing the traveling public and working closely with the travel press and travel trade. Their consumer website is www.en.visitparisregion.com [29], which includes dedicated sections for the travel trade and press.

About 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: us.rendezvousenfrance.com [32]

PRESS CONTACTS:
Marion Fourestier
Director of Communications
Atout France USA
marion.fourestier@atout-france.fr [33]
Tel: (212) 745-0967

Catherine Barnouin
PR & Events Officer
Paris Region Tourist Board
cbarnouin@visitparisregion.com [34]
Tel: +33 (0)1 73 04 83 13