Ski
resorts in the Southern Alpes in the French Provence may become a new
destination for Russians, thanks to a new direct flight by Air France to Marseilles,
which started on October 2. A
convenient transfer and lower prices, compaired to France’s top-level resorts, are
attractive to skiers, who want to try something new, says the commercial
representative of the de l'Ubaye Valley, Drace Voydanovic.
The
direct flight to Merseilles, conducted by Air France
four times a week, has clearly widened the possibilities for Russians when it
comes to trips to Provence.
This, of course, doesn't only include ski resorts, but other tourism
capabilities of the country’s third most popular region among foreigners.
According to a representative of the Marseilles’
Tourism and Congresses Office, Cyrille Saboya, last summer, when the direct
flight was only announced, Provence already
saw much more tourists from Russia.
And after October 2 their numbers grew even more, which is confirmed by both the
representatives of hotels and the local tourism office.
Air
France’s chief
representative in Russia,
Eric Shatar, says, the flights are being filled nicely and the summer forecast
is quite promising as well. “The market was ready for this flight. However, we
did make the announcement about it in July, when the tour operators’ winter
programs were already prepared. That’s why during winter we’ll be filling the
planes with individual tourtists. While in the summer, we’ll sign contracts
with tour companies. The tickets for the first flights were mostly purchased by
younger Russians on the internet. Today 80% of tickets are sold on the web”, -
says Shatar, adding that when it comes to the Moscow-Paris flight, only up to
25% of tickets are sold online. The starting price for the flight to Marseilles was around
$235, all fees included, and tickets can still be purchased for this money,
however, not for all dates.
The
only inconvenience about the flight to Marseilles
is its arrival time – the plane lands in the Provence’s capital at around midnight. So
its cheap price is lost due to the need to purchase a night at a hotel. But
according to the region’s representatives, shuttle buses to Marseilles and other near-by cities function
up to the last flight.
The
director general of the Provence-Alps-French Riviera region’s tourism committee
Bruno James says, Provence is France’s third
most popular region among foreign tourists. It’s annually visited by around 3.5
mln guests. Only around 1% of this figure consists of Russians, while it’s 4 to
5 percent in the neighboring French Riviera. “Russian tourists appeared in the
French Riviera fifteen years ago, while Provence
is being explored only now. We’re very pleased that we’re being visited by
representatives of the middle class, who are interested in history and
culture”, - the official says.