Atout France Marks 70 Years in Canada

Atout France is marking seven decades of assisting people in Canada who dream of vacationing in France.

Melanie Paul-Hus, Atout France’s Canadian director, told a Toronto gathering Thursday marking 70 years of the tourist board’s presence in this country that Canadian interest in the nation she promotes is clearly on the upswing, with 2014 seeing 1,023,000 visitors from Canada visiting France.

The 2015 terrorist attacks slowed French tourism, but officials say it has rebounded, with French authorities hoping to see France host 100 million international tourists by 2020.

Officials also note Paris will host the 2024 Summer Olympics, an event expected to generate further interest in the country.

Thursday’s event – which attracted representatives of Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes Tourisme, Evian Tourism, Le Voyage a Nantes, the Loire Valley and Air Canada – was also told that Air Canada has been serving Paris for 66 years, with that route being particularly popular for the airline.

June 8 will see the airline begin Vancouver-Paris service, with four

weekly flights planned.

Pictured are Paul-Hus and Marie-Andree Boucher, also of Atout France.