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France Marketing and Sales Programs

Our marketing and sales activities encourage French travellers to see and experience Canada in a whole new way, and to do it now versus later. Whether we launch an integrated marketing campaign, conduct travel-trade shows, bring media and destination partners together to exchange stories and tourism experiences, our initiatives target three major audiences:

Consumer Read more > Close >

We focus on three key consumer groups based on the Explorer Quotient™(EQ) types:

·       Free Spirits in France are predominantly 18 to 45 years old and come to Canada to get away from their real life, have fun and indulge themselves.

·       Cultural Explorersin France are 25 to 60 years old. They have a deep desire to engage with locals and learn their customs and language while leaving room for spontaneity.

·       Cultural History Buffsin France are over 50 years old. They come to Canada to see history in its modern context, engaging with locals and learning their customs and languages while sharing their experiences with other group members. 

 

Consumer websites and marketing campaigns

French consumers can visit our consumer site to browse for holiday packages from France, discover their EQ type, get travel ideas, learn about Canadian destinations, get travel advice from locals throughout Explore Canada like a local, view podcasts, read travel blogs and access the French list of current Canada Specialists.

We reach out to consumers with a range of integrated marketing campaigns that include consumer websites, advertising campaigns and cross-promotions involving non-traditional partnerships, such as:

·       Consumers visiting the second edition of  the “My Winnipeg” exhibit located at the MIAM in Sète (South of France) until April 22are receiving a mini-brochure featuring 11 product offers from French tour operator Comptoir du Canada (5,000 mini-brochures were printed). The brochure invites consumers to participate via www.keepexploring.fr/ in a contest to win a trip for two for polar-bear viewing.

France 2012 marketing campaigns

In France, we produce two annual integrated consumer campaigns with tactical components, incorporating social media, print, online, and experiential channels to build destination awareness and drive sales to trade and industry partners. We run a tactical conversion- focused campaign during the spring (end of March until May) and a broader winter-season destination awareness campaign during late autumn to promote winter breaks and to keep Canada top of mind for travellers.

E-newsletters

Consumers on the CTC-France database receive a quarterly e-newsletter. Our March 2012 e-newsletter will be sent to 60,000 consumers, including a Facebook contest “Placez le drapeau pour gagner.” We also had an e-blast dedicated to Air Canada’s 75th anniversary with a special 15% discount on flights purchased prior to March 9. Air Canada was also our official partner for the VIP Thomas Cook FAM trip that took place in January.

Travel Trade Read more > Close >

CTC-France trade development focuses on the retail and wholesale aspects of selling travel, both online and offline. The in-market team gets involved with retail agencies for the creation of window displays and online agencies in order to develop dedicated micro-sites featuring Canada product offers, organizes partner familiarization (FAM) trips such as the VIP FAM trip to British Columbia with French retailer Thomas Cook last January, or gets involved with retailers (Voyamar, Jetset, Euram) and provincial and destination marketing organizations (such as Ontario, Vancouver and Victoria) in workshops sessions to educate the travel trade.

Wholesale activities include destination-specific meetings, product updates and seminars, plus joint development and financing of partner campaigns, as well as training sessions for reservations staff. Tour operators such as Maison des Etats-Unis and Objectif Amériques also promote Canada via educational events geared to their client database.

In addition we collaborate with major tour operators and agency networks to develop innovative marketing programs such as the promotion of the package “Découvertes canadiennes”by Vacances Transat with Carlson Wagonlit through window displays, magazine ads, dedicated emailing and client events.

Canada Specialist Program

Travel agents, tour operators and other travel influencers greatly impact where and how consumers travel. We launched theCSP e-learning tool, comprised of eight modules,during the first quarter of 2011. During the fourth quarter of 2011 we launched our “CSP last Call 2011” to increase CSP enrolment with the incentive “Win your family Xmas vacation by becoming a Canada Specialist.” After one year, we have 1,050 participants and 358 fully accredited agents. In 2012, our goal is to have 500 fully accredited CSP agents (10% of the total French travel agent community). We aim to increase enrollment with a promotion to win an iPad2. We will focus on training CSP agents via our workshops and FAM trips.

Participating travel agents are offered a range of information and support, including:

  • Certified training programs and testing
  • Conferences and seminars
  • Familiarization (FAM) trips
  • Tools and training manuals
  • CSP website and e-newsletters
  • Marketing and sales support
  • Roadshows.

We also partner with CSP agents for client events dedicated to Canada. In Q1 we did this with Rambaud Voyages, Kuoni Strasbourg and Voyages Masson.

Trade shows

For details on these events and more, check out our Trade Shows & Events.

Media Read more > Close >

CTC-France assists the media with partnered press trips, media events and hosting media on visits to extraordinary Canadian destinations. Our strategy is to gain visibility in the French media by creating and building buzz. We also send regular mail-outs to journalists and pitch targeted story ideas to media influencers. Social media is becoming an integral part of our communications plan, illustrated by the partnership with the launch of the “Café de Flore” movie premiere and the photo contest we ran with Beglob.

Café de Flore Facebook contest: All visitors of the CTC Facebook page were invited to post a photo of themselves and a lover in order to win a trip for two to Quebec. The contest, which ended on Feb. 17, generated 378 new opt-ins via 711 contest entries.

Beglob photo contest:All visitors of the website jaimelevoyage.com were invited to post a photo relating to one of the following themes: Canada, Wood and Forest in order to have a chance to win a trip for two to Canada as well as having their photo exhibited at the French fair MAP. The contest, which ran Feb. 3-29, generated 603 participants, 37,107 visits and 183,635 page views.

In Q1 2012, we organized a press trip with well-established French magazine Le Figaro to experience dog sledding in Yukon. We are currently working with national magazine VSD(similar to People magazine in the US) for a four-page article on Canada’s North.

Go Media Marketplace

French media attend GoMedia Canada Marketplace, the CTC's annual media event, allowing Canadian travel suppliers and destination marketing organizations to exchange stories and ideas with international media. GoMedia is held annually in Canada and is hosted by a different destination each year. GoMedia 2012 will take place inWhitehorse, YK, May 27-31. We will be sending six journalists and one broadcaster to the event covering print, online media and TV.

 

Inbound travel to Canada from France
  2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
Overnight trip to Canada (000's) 351.2 360.9 359.4 404.5 388.2 408.1
Year to year change 4.8% 2.8% -0.4% 12.6% -4.0% 5.1%
Receipts ($M) 463.3 463.5 477.3 541.0 512.5 520.8
Year to year change 15.4% 0.0% 3.0% 13.3% -5.3% 1.6%
Source: International Travel Survey, Statistics Canada.

Quick facts Read more > Close >

  • French GDP grew a sluggish 1.4% in 2010 and is forecasted to expand to 2.1% in 2011 before slowing to 1.9% in 2012. The Eurozone debt crisis is a main source of downside risk to this forecast, as it could result in a new and deep recession in the region. (Source: Oxford Economics, July 2011)
  • Total outbound travel from France in 2010 reached 40.9million trips, up 4.8% from 2009. (Source: Tourism Economics – Tourism Decision Metrics, May 2011)
  • There were 408,100 overnight trips to Canada from France in 2010, up 5.1% from 2009.
  • French travellers injected $520.8million into the Canadian economy in 2010, an increase of 1.6% from 2009.
  • In 2009, French travellers spent on average $1,276 per person-trip; the average stay was 16 nights.
  • A large proportion of French travellers (45%) chose to visit Canada during the summer months (July through September).
  • In 2010, more than 35% of French travellers to Canada were 55 years of age or older.
  • The majority of French visits were to Quebec, which had approximately 309,100 visitors, a 4.6% increase over 2009.
  • This year, the top activities that French travellers reported doing while in Canada were shopping, sightseeing, as well as visiting friends and family.

Source: Statistics Canada, International Travel Survey unless otherwise indicated.All Statistics Canada numbers are preliminary.

Current trends and market considerations Read more > Close >

The 2011 travel figures for France show that 2011 wasan excellent year for travel to Canada with an increase of 5.4% over 2010 (459,140 versus 435,465 visitors). Summer reservations taking place in Q1 are contradictory depending on whom you speak to. Some are down and some are similar to 2011. Although January and February appeared to be slower than in 2011, March seems to be picking up, possibly due to the end of the first annual school break. This year is a presidential election year (elections are in April and May), so reservations may only start taking place at a later date as consumers are reluctant to commit.

The travel-trade industry is undergoing many changes. TUI France was officially created (under its umbrella are Nouvelles Frontières, Aventuria, Tourinter and Marmara). Thomas Cook is having financial difficulties and Carlson Wagonlit faces substantial lay-offs. They have all been negatively affected by the Arab revolution and are now facing a cruise crisis following the sinking of Costa Concordia and the recent mechanical difficulties with the Costa Allegra.

With medium-haul travel becoming a more complex issue, long-haul is attracting more tourists. French travellers see Canada as a safe place to experience a genuine connection with nature and the French culture to “rediscover their roots,” specifically through Quebec. On repeat visits, they are usually eager to experience other parts of the country.

Guided by CTC’s corporate strategy, France focuses on high-yield travellers in key geographic regions less influenced by exchange-rate fluctuations and market pressures.

Meetings, Conventions & Incentive Travel (MC&IT) Read more > Close >

Press trip for Francois Perruche, editor at Meet and Travel Mag covering Toronto, Ottawa and Vancouver. Special Canada feature will appear in March edition, with a 10-page editorial plus two ads featuring Ottawa and Toronto

Canada calendar mailing to TOP 50 clients.

  • Press trip for Francois Perruche, editor at Meet and Travel Mag covering Toronto, Ottawa and Vancouver. Special Canada feature will appear in March edition, with a 10-page editorial plus two ads featuring Ottawa and Toronto.
  • Canada calendar mailing to TOP 50 clients.
  • Axis joined an Air Canada/Destination Quebec FAM trip to Montréal March 8-11, which was a great opportunity to build relationship with 11 key clients attending from France.
  • Sales meetings in Brussels are scheduled for March 20-23, some of which are joint meetings with Air Canada, targeting eight key clients.
  • Database development: Added 71 new clients, increasing the database to 175 clients/426 individual contacts to ensure quality recruitment for CTC Paris event, mail blasts, call lists and in market meetings.
  • Canada e-blast went out March 12 to 426 key contacts.
  • Canada update calls to 23 clients.

Current trends and market considerations

French events industry recovering: According to a study by ANAE/Bedouk that was released on Feb. 8, the events industry in France appears healthy.

Agencies report an 8% increase in turnover in 2011 vs. 2010 and could maintain the number of events in 2011 with an average of 80 per year.

Trends for 2012:Emerging destinations will be Germany, China and Hong Kong, Brazil, UK (2012 Summer Olympic Games) and Ukraine/Poland (Euro 2012).

For 2012, agencies forecast an increase in turnover (38%), decrease in turnover (16%) and no change in turnover (44%).

A new law that orders organizations to pay tax on staff incentives will affect events agencies in France. Incentives of a value between €215 and €2,047 will be taxed at 20%. FAM trips as well as travelling to attend exhibitions, seminars and congresses are excluded from the law. Subsequently, incentive programs are about to change from a reward to more educational format. A new draft of the law was expected on March 6.

There are 420 events agencies in France compared to 615 in 2009, indicating an ongoing consolidation in the market.

For details on events, check out our dedicated MC&IT website or the listings in Trade Shows & Events.  For more information on MC&IT strategic programming in the European market, e-mail frei [dot] susan [at] ctc-cct [dot] ca (Susan Frei), Director, International MC&IT, or call her at 1-703-825-1134.

For details on other events, check out our Trade Shows & Events.

Contact our team Read more > Close >

Contact our team for more information:

General Sales Agent - Tourisme Synergique
201, rue Saint Honoré
75001 Paris
France
Fax : 33-1-47-03-63-68

sandra [dot] teakle [at] tourisme-synergique [dot] com (Sandra Teakle)
Managing Director
33-1-47-03-63-61

daniel [dot] arnatsiaq [at] tourisme-synergique [dot] com (Daniel Arnatsiaq)
Manager – Industry Relations
33-1-47-03-63-62

vanessa [dot] gomez [at] tourisme-synergique [dot] com (Vanessa Gomez)
Coordinator – Travel Agency Relations
33-1-47-03-63-63

Latest Campaigns Read more > Close >

A selection of ads from CTC's most recent campaign.

 

 

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