11/08/2019 16:10

New Year in French Style

[IMG=21337-7197]On October 25th French Travel Company Stratagem held a press conference in the Grand-hotel in Moscow. The intriguing annotation said that the press conference ‘is devoted to new trends and technologies in the European tourism, organization of unusual historical events and the use of cultural heritage and unique museums in the event-tourism’. The arrived journalists discovered that they were invited to talk about only one separate program for rich people wishing to spicy up their French holidays by celebrating New Year in the heart of Paris. According to Anastasia Dorosheva, General Director of Stratagem in Russia, they organize New Year ball in the private museum in the Parisian quarter Bercey. The ball imitates the epoch of Luis XIV by fancy costumes, meals and fireworks show. Those who wish to enjoy the ball will pay 2000–3000 Euros per person. The price does not include accommodation and flights. Stratagem named Sodis among the preferable tour operators that will promote the product in the Russian market. Meanwhile, travel market experts say that such an offer can hardly be considered an innovation in tourism. Thus, Olga Maximova, Head of the French Department of BSI, explained: ‘three years ago we organized bal costume in the French castle but then made a decision to renounce the idea owing less demand than we had expected. Apparently, the situation has changed and there are many tourists interested in such ‘entertainment’. Furthermore, some travel market experts doubt that fancy ball is a part of VIP-tourism. Roman Brusensky, President of Actava Group, pointed out: ‘VIP-tourism in my perception is either an individual tour or a tour for a very limited group of people. Price segment of such tours is not three but dozens of thousands dollars. Moreover, VIP-tourism suggests individual approach. Therefore, 350 people (a number of people invited to the ball) is not premium class tourism, from my point of view.