Visuel des Rencontres du Tourisme Culturel

Audrey Azoulay, Minister of Culture and Communication, welcomes the decisions taken by the interdepartmental committee of tourism, held last night in Matignon, chaired by the Prime Minister, Manuel Valls. Additional means for securing public cultural institutions (€5m) and for the Live Entertainment Emergency Fund (€4m) In addition to the €9 million planned in 2017 for all schools under the ministry’s supervision, 73 new jobs have been created. The Minister also committed to a reflection on cultural tourism.

It is in this sense that Audrey Azoulay announces the first edition of the Cultural Tourism Meetings, to be held on December 16 at the Centre Pompidou in Paris, and are part of the tourism recovery plan launched by the Government.

This symposium, organized by the Ministry of Culture and Communication, aims to strengthen cooperation between tourism professionals, those in the world of culture, local authorities and elected officials, by offering them a privileged exchange framework. On this occasion, major witnesses, national and international experts, public and private actors, will be invited to share and compare their experiences in order to reflect on the contours and conditions of a mutually beneficial culture and tourism partnership.

Culture remains a key factor in the attractiveness of France, the world’s leading tourist destination. The wealth of heritage, the diversity of the cultural offer and the vitality of the artistic scene, especially in festivals, are indeed the main motivations for a trip to France, both for foreign visitors and for French residents.

Audrey Azoulay will deliver a speech at the opening of the Rencontres du Tourisme Culturel as well as Matthias Fekl, State Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Development, responsible for Foreign Trade, Promotion of tourism and French abroad.