The France tourism development Agency, launched its first French Specialist training sessions in 6 major cities in July 2010, to widen the knowledge of Indian travel agents about France as a tourist destination.
The Training Program conducted by Atout France in association with Amadeus India, also had on board four partners: Air France, Rail Europe, Accor Hospitality and the Rhône Alpes Regional Tourist Board.
The sessions were held in the Amadeus Training Centers located in Bengaluru, Chennai, Pune, Mumbai, Ahmedabad and New Delhi from the 23rd to the 30th of July 2010 for travel companies. In addition to this, a few in-house training programs were also conducted in travel agencies in all the cities.
The sessions aimed at enriching the knowledge of travel agents and tour operators about France. The agents were educated and trained extensively in how to promote the destination. It showcases France as a destination capable of playing host to a wide variety of tourists with varied interests.
The training program also introduced the Online French Specialist Training Tool, which will prove to be an effective method of understanding France in detail. Agents can log on to the website www.formation.franceguide.com and take part in a series of tests designed to better the candidate’s understanding and knowledge of France. The site consists of 15 different modules like general information on how Indian tourists can move around in the country using trains, buses, car rentals etc. All regions of France like Ile de France, the Riviera, Rhone Alpes, Bourgogne, Alsace etc are discussed. Themes related to Art de Vivre such as wines, shopping, gastronomy etc, culture and heritage along with activities like golf, cruises etc are presented. After each module, the candidates are evaluated by a test. Upon successful completion of the 15 module tests they become eligible for a certificate and the title ‘Certified Agents for Destination France’. These certificates are awarded to individual candidates working in an organization and not the organization as a whole.
The sessions aim at creating awareness about the untapped regions of France. Catherine ODEN, Director, ATOUT FRANCE, has said about the training sessions, “The sessions comprised of general training about France, to help travel agents to have an in-depth knowledge of our destination.” “The sessions included product presentations by our partners. Also, we focused on different travel segments, the most imminent being that of families”. She explained how France is a very family oriented country with lots of features and facilities for family holidays. The program also provided a good platform for showcasing the new MICE brochure.
“This is a soft launch and we would like to acquire some feedback from the travel agents in order to further adapt the trainings to best suit their requirements. We intend to host more intensive programs in the years to come”, she added.
With India becoming one of the top spending powers, it is quite important for the Indian travel trade to be aware of all the options that are available to them and can be eventually recommended to their clients.
ATOUT FRANCE is the France Tourism Development Agency, which promotes France as a tourism destination in India. Since its first efforts in India in 2002, it has seen a steady increase in the number of tourists that France receives. Continuing its initiatives, ATOUT FRANCE holds yearly workshops and events to promote its regions. ATOUT FRANCE hopes to bring to India the rich heritage and culture as well as the modern France, which so many Indians are yet to witness.