Press release date: 28th November 2019
What’s new for 2020? New transport routes, accommodation, museums, shopping outlets, sporting events and facilities, tourism initiatives and anniversaries will set the tone for France in the coming year.
Tourism Figures
With a record number of more than 90 million international visitors, France reaffirmed its status as the most visited destination in the world in 2018. Representing an increase of 4.3 million visitors since 2017.
Over 650,000 outbound trips were taken by Irish residents to France in 2018, an increase of 18% from 2017.
France is still a popular holiday destination for Irish travellers behind the United Kingdom and Spain. In 2018, France witnessed an increase of 18% from 2017 in terms of trips taken by Irish to France, and a slight 2% increase in expenditure.
Europe remains the number one choice for Irish holidaymakers travelling abroad, with 86% visiting the continent in 2018.
(Sources: DGE, Banque de France, Mintel and Enquête EVE)
Exhibitions & New Cultural Institutions
Fashion & Design
LILLE METROPOLE, 2020 WORLD DESIGN CAPITAL
Lille, Hauts-de-France
2020
The World Design Capital (WDC) is handpicked every two years by the World Design Organisation, to recognise a city’s innovative use of design to strengthen economic, social, cultural and environmental development. The World Design Capital provides a platform to showcase best practices in design-led urban policy and innovation in different domains including public transport, sustainable infrastructure, demographic evolution, mobility, renewable energies, and inclusive and transparent governance. Following Mexico City in 2018, Lille Metropole is taking over and will be the first French city to become World Design Capital.
www.lillemetropoleworlddesigncapital2020.com/
CHRISTIAN LOUBOUTIN EXHIBITION
New exhibition
Paris, Île-de-France
25 February to 26 July 2020
A landmark Christian Louboutin exhibition is set to open its doors in Paris in 2020, devoted to the work and creativity of the internationally renowned footwear designer and key figure in the fashion world. Coming to the Palais de la Porte Dorée in February, the retrospective will showcase a plethora of pieces from the designer. The exhibition will also “celebrate some of the greatest artists and artisans” who have been a constant point of inspiration to Louboutin, including director David Lynch and choreographer Blanca Li.
www.palais-portedoree.fr/en/christian-louboutin-exhibition
REOPENING OF PALAIS GALLIERA
FUTURE HOME OF THE FIRST PERMANENT FASHION EXHIBITION IN FRANCE
Museum renovation and new permanent exhibition
Paris, Île-de-France
April 2020
After four years of renovation, Paris’ Palais Galliera fashion museum is reopening. It will be home to the first permanent fashion exhibition in France in 2020, exclusively sponsored by Chanel. Chanel has partnered with the city of Paris to finance the construction of the permanent exhibition rooms and gallery, which will be called The Gabrielle Chanel Rooms, at an estimated cost of €5.7 million. Located in the basement of the Palais Galliera, this 670-square-metre area will offer the general public a space open all year round, dedicated to the history of fashion from the 18th century to the present day. The project also includes the creation of a learning workshop and a bookshop. The ground floor of the museum will continue to be dedicated to temporary exhibitions.
CHANEL METIERS D’ART WORKSHOP
New cultural site
Porte d’Aubervilliers, Paris, Île-de-France
2020
This 25,550-square-metre building in the northern Parisian suburb of Porte d’Aubervilliers was conceived by Rudy Ricciotti, and will house the majority of the 26 speciality ateliers that Chanel oversees, including milliner Maison Michel, cashmere specialist Barrie, feather maker Lemarié and embroiderers Maison Lesage. A total of 600 artisans will take up residence in a striking structure covered in a concrete shell evoking threads. Through the project, Chanel hopes to contribute to the influence of Paris as the capital of fashion.
Art
AFTER THE ATELIER DES LUMIÈRES IN PARIS,
THE BASSINS DE LUMIÈRES OPENING IN BORDEAUX
New digital art museum
Bordeaux, Nouvelle-Aquitaine
April 2020
After the success of the launch of the Atelier des Lumières in Paris and its Klimt exhibition, the city of Bordeaux entrusted Culturespaces with the management of its famous submarine base, a remnant of the Second World War. A symbol of the Bassins à Flot district, this enormous bunker is five times larger than the Atelier des Lumières in Paris – covering 11,000 square metres with some areas measuring up to 12 metres high, 100 metres long and 22 metres wide – and is one of the world’s largest multimedia installations. The Bassins de Lumières will hold digital exhibitions specifically adapted to the monumental architecture of the submarine base.
www.culturespaces.com/en/bassins-lumieres
COLLECTION PINAULT PARIS
New museum
Paris, Île-de-France
June 2020
French billionaire and notable art collector François Pinault is taking over a new hot Parisian spot to display his art collection. Located at the heart of Paris, the Bourse de Commerce (Stock Exchange) is the new exhibition space for the Pinault Collection. The historic building has been fully restored and transformed into a museum by famous Japanese architect Tadao Ando, including an auditorium and 3,000 square metres of contemporary art exhibition.
www.collectionpinaultparis.com/en/
MODERN ART MUSEUM AT FONTEVRAUD
New museum
Fontevraud-l’Abbaye, Pays de la Loire
May/June 2020
A new museum of modern art will open at Fontevraud Abbey following a vast donation by private collectors Martine and Léon Cligman, including 19th- and 20th-century works by artists Corot, Dubuffet, Degas, Toulouse-Lautrec, Derain and Delaunay. The region of Pays de la Loire has invested €8.6 million in the museum, which will open in the former stables and is intended to receive the ‘Musée de France’ label. Fontevraud is the largest collection of monastic buildings in France, burial place of three English royals – Henry II, Richard the Lionheart and Eleanor of Aquitaine – and today a cultural centre. The on-site hotel has a Michelin-starred restaurant and hotel guests have access to the abbey all night long.
www.fontevraud.fr/en/
FRANK GEHRY’S TOWER AT FONDATION LUMA
New addition to the museum
Arles, Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur
Summer 2020
Canadian-American designer Frank Gehry’s vertiginous, twisting tower at LUMA Arles is taking shape on its 16-acre site in Provence. Due to be 56 metres high when completed, the tower will support a variety of functions including research facilities, workshops and seminar rooms, and artists’ studios. Work is expected to be completed in summer 2020. While it used only to open during summer, the Fondation LUMA itself is now open all year round.
www.luma-arles.org/en
THE ARC DE TRIOMPHE, WRAPPED
Art display
Paris, Île-de-France
19 September to 4 October 2020
In partnership with the Pompidou Centre, the Centre des Monuments Nationaux (CMN) will be creating a temporary exhibition entitled ‘The Arc de Triomphe, Wrapped’. The work will be visible for 14 days and conceived by Christo, who famously ‘wrapped’ the Pont-Neuf in Paris, the Reichstag in Berlin and the Gates of Central Park in New York.
www.paris-arc-de-triomphe.fr/en/News/The-Arc-de-Triomphe-Wrapped
History
NARBO VIA, A NEW ANTIQUE MUSEUM IN NARBONNE
New museum
Narbonne, Occitanie
Autumn 2020
The Narbo Via museum will be the new landmark of the city of Narbonne in Southern France, once an important Roman port. Designed by Norman Foster from Foster+Partners (who also created the Musée de la Romanité in Nîmes, which opened in June 2018), the new 8,000-square-metre antique museum will honour the town’s remarkable archaeological collection, charting its antique heritage and displaying as many as 25,000 individual exhibits. It is one of France’s most important ongoing contemporary architectural projects, with a remarkably light framework and a transparent, undulating façade.
BRITISH NORMANDY MEMORIAL
Memorial
Ver-sur-Mer, Normandy
Summer 2020
Designed by Liam O’Connor, the award-winning architect behind the Bomber Command Memorial in London, this new site will be the first memorial to honour the 22,000 soldiers, sailors, marines and airmen who died fighting under British command on D-Day and in the Battle of Normandy. It will stand just outside the village of Ver-sur-Mer, overlooking Gold Beach.
www.normandymemorialtrust.org/the-memorial/
New Tourism Initiatives and Facilities
OPENING OF PADDOCK, THE NEW PARISIAN BROOKLYN
Paris, Île-de-France
End of 2019-2020
Paddock Paris is located in a new arts and food district, a few steps from the Canal de l’Ourcq and just two kilometres from Paris’ city centre. With modern architecture, innovative and eco-friendly design, accessibility by metro (300m), car, boat or bike and a 120-room three-star hotel, this is a truly next-generation outlet shopping centre. It covers 62 hectares in the former stables of Paris.
www.paddock-paris.com/en/index.php
THE DRAGON OF CALAIS, THE NEW ADDITION TO LA MACHINE COMPANY
Calais, Hauts-de-France
January 2020
Freed from the subterranean worlds, the ‘Dragon of Calais’ is heading for the city. This giant dragon was conceived by La Machine de Nantes and built by La Machine Company, and will carry visitors through town and along the seafront. By 2023, other fantastic creatures will be descending on Calais to create a unique urban universe. A permanent creation, the dragon will be 15 metres high and able to transport up to 60 passengers at a time.
www.lamachine.fr/en/le-dragon-de-calais/
https://compagniedudragon.com/
Events
Festivals
NORMANDY IMPRESSIONIST FESTIVAL
Normandy
3 April to 6 September 2020
The Normandy Impressionist Festival is an established event in the region’s calendar, treating visitors from around the world to a programme of over 450 events across the whole region. Taking Normandy’s rich Impressionist heritage as its inspiration, the festival welcomed 1.8 million visitors in 2016, and is expecting even more in 2020. With five months of exhibitions, concerts, films, light shows and picnics, there’s something to suit all ages and budgets.
www.normandie-impressionniste.fr/
FIRST GRAND’ESCALE MARITIME FESTIVAL
Fécamp, Normandy
1 to 5 July 2020
Normandy’s beautiful Alabaster Coast welcomes its first maritime festival this year. Taking place between the Kiel Regatta and Brest International Maritime Festival, sailing boats, yachts and steamboats will now be able to stop off en route from Germany to Brittany in Fécamp, a Norman port that enjoys a long and rich maritime heritage. Visitors to the festival can enjoy boat trips, concerts, tours of the ships and much more.
www.fecampgrandescale.com
60TH ANNIVERSARY OF JAZZ A JUAN FESTIVAL
Juan-les-Pins, Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur
5 to 23 July 2020
In 2020, Antibes-Juan-les-Pins’ iconic jazz festival will be celebrating its 60th anniversary. Listening to jazz in the Pinède Gould overlooking the Mediterranean is a unique experience which has given the festival world renown. This year’s special edition will last even longer than usual to celebrate the anniversary. Full programme to be revealed in early 2020.
www.jazzajuan.com/en-us/home.aspx
50TH YEAR OF FESTIVAL INTERCELTIQUE DE LORIENT
Lorient, Brittany
7 to 16 August 2020
Each summer, around 700,000 people from all over the world invade the Celtic town of Lorient for the Festival Interceltique. From Galicia to Scotland, the best of Celtic music can be found here and enjoyed in a social atmosphere. 200 events and shows and 5,000 performers around the city will be celebrating this 50th year.
www.brittanytourism.com/matching-what-i-want/culture-and-heritage/brittanys-main-events/festival-interceltique-de-lorient/
8TH EDITION OF THE EMBOUTEILLAGE DE LAPALISSE
Lapalisse, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
9 to 11 October 2020
Every two years, the Pays de Lapalisse has celebrated the historic N7 road between Lapalisse and St Martin-d’Estréaux by recreating the traffic jam that used to happen when local residents departed on holiday to the Côte d’Azur in the 1950s and 60s. Fans of vintage vehicles and road trippers meet for three days for a parade of hundreds of classic cars, caravans, trucks, bicycles and scooters, all driven by passengers wearing 50s and 60s outfits and accessories.
www.embouteillage-n7-lapalisse.com/en/
Anniversaries
METZ CATHEDRAL’S 800TH ANNIVERSARY
Metz, Grand-Est
2020
The Saint-Etienne cathedral in Metz celebrates its 800th anniversary in 2020. Video mapping, guided tours, exhibitions, concerts, conferences and workshops for younger audiences make up over 200 events showcasing the historical and artistic chapters of the building and its surroundings. Nicknamed ‘the Good Lord’s Lantern’, Metz Cathedral is characterised by around 6,500 square metres of stained glass, the most extensive of any building in the Christian world. After the Second World War, many of the cathedral’s windows were destroyed and several artists were called upon to create new ones. Artists Jacques Villon, Marc Chagall and Roger Bissière were all involved and their work added a contemporary touch to the building. The celebrations will be concluded with the exhibition ‘Chagall, passeur de lumière’ at the Centre Pompidou-Metz from October 2020.
https://800-cathedrale.metz.fr/en/
AMIENS CATHEDRAL’S 800TH ANNIVERSARY
Amiens, Hauts-de-France
2020
A whole year of celebrations is forthcoming to honour this jewel of Gothic architecture, listed as UNESCO World Heritage. The cathedral was built in the 12th century but largely rebuilt between 1220 and 1270, and is one of the largest and most complete churches in France. The eighth centenary of this emblematic monument will be a major cultural event organised by the City of Amiens and Amiens Métropole, in conjunction with the French government. Numerous festivities under the patronage of the President of the French Republic will mark this special anniversary, most notably the sound and light show ‘Chroma’, which will be enhanced with a brand new display!
www.cathedrale-amiens.fr/en/
Sports
FIRST EDITION OF THE GLOBAL SPORT WEEK
Paris, Île-de-France
5 to 7 February 2020
The inaugural Global Sports Week will take place at the Carrousel du Louvre, at the heart of the French capital. This new annual event will unite movers and shakers from across all sectors, countries and generations. Ahead of the 2023 Rugby World Cup taking place in France and the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, French President Emmanuel Macron has commissioned the proceedings. Promotional material suggests that social and environmental issues will be high on the new event’s agenda.
https://globalsportsweek.com/
THE 9TH VENDÉE GLOBE SETS SAIL
Les Sables-d’Olonne, Pays de la Loire
8 November 2020
The world’s toughest solo round-the-world sailing race will depart from the port of Les Sables-d’Olonne on 8 November 2020. British skipper Alex Thomson has invested in a new £5m boat for the race, which takes place every four years.
www.vendeeglobe.org/en/
New shopping and foodie outlets
DEPARTMENT STORE LA SAMARITAINE REOPENS
Paris, Île-de-France
Spring 2020
After closing for safety reasons in 2005, La Samaritaine is finally unveiling the results of its large-scale renovation project conceived by the LVMH Group. Several facilities will be grouped together within the buildings, surrounded by a pedestrian area, spread over two blocks between the Quai du Louvre and Rue de Rivoli: a department store, a five-star Cheval Blanc hotel with 72 rooms (see ‘New Hotels’ section), housing units, offices and a children’s nursery.
www.lvmh.com/houses/other-activities/samaritaine
LA MAISON DU COMTÉ, A NEW CHEESE MUSEUM IN BURGUNDY
Poligny, Bourgogne-Franche-Comté
Spring 2020
Following several months of work, the Maison du Comté (Comté cheese museum) in the Jura mountains will soon welcome its first visitors. With a stunning interplay of transparency, this wood and zinc building encloses a hybrid space devoted to France’s favourite fromage: a shop in the shape of a cheese wheel, a Comté bar and, of course, new displays and activities will take you on a journey to explore the different stages of production and maturing that Comté undergoes.
www.comtecheese.co.uk/
Green/Eco-friendly
BRITTANY FERRIES’ NEW GREENEST SHIP
Normandy
Spring 2020
Named after the picturesque port on the Seine estuary, the Honfleur will arrive next year and serve Brittany Ferries’ most popular route from Portsmouth to Caen-Ouistreham. This LNG-powered ship will carry up to 1,680 passengers and boast 261 cabins, two cinemas, several restaurants, passenger lounges and boutique shopping. Honfleur is the future of sustainable ferry transport and will soon be the greenest vessel regularly operating on the English Channel.
www.destinationhonfleur.com/en
KM127: NORMANDY’S FIRST OFF-GRID, LUXURY ECO-RESORT
Bottereaux, Normandy
March 2020
Named after the distance separating it from the French capital, eco-friendly accommodation KM127 will boast eight five-room lodges, an on-site restaurant and a permaculture vegetable garden spread over 110 acres, as well as a low carbon footprint and off-grid water and electricity supplies.
www.km127.com
EKLO, ONE OF FRANCE’S MOST ECO-FRIENDLY HOTEL CHAINS, EXPANDS
Throughout France
2020
Rooted in Eklo’s DNA, the environmental approach is at the heart of the brand’s values, determining everything from building structure, cleaning products and food to policies, philosophy and staff training. Eklo recently opened its fifth French hotel, in Bordeaux (summer 2019), and is planning to open another in Clermont-Ferrand in 2020. Their long-term objective is to open 40 hotels in France over the next 10 years.
www.eklohotels.com/en/
AIR FRANCE HORIZON 2030: OFFSETTING ALL DOMESTIC FLIGHTS
2020
Air France says it will proactively offset 100% of CO2 emissions from domestic flights starting in 2020 as part of its environmental objectives. Labelled ‘Air France Horizon 2030’, the airline’s sustainability roadmap will see it voluntarily offset emissions on all flights within mainland France starting on 1st January, through participation in environmental projects. According to Air France, this represents an average of over 450 flights per day and in excess of 57,000 customers.
https://corporate.airfrance.com/en
New Hotels
THE BOUTIQUE CHALET COMPANY PRESENTS CHALET TATAALI
Morzine, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
Winter season 2019/2020
Luxury chalet
Award-winning Boutique Chalet Company boasts some of the finest ski chalets in the Alps, with an existing portfolio of five stunning properties in Morzine. This winter the company will open 1,000-square-metre Chalet Tataali, combining luxury and modernity in a beautiful mountain setting. Situated in the Vallée de la Manche, 200 metres from the Nyon ski lift, the chalet will feature seven en-suite rooms accommodating 14 guests, a slide connecting the entrance hall with a games room two floors below, a cinema room, an impressive wellbeing area and fitness room, and a pool table. Meals worthy of a top-end restaurant will be served each evening, with menus chosen by guests in advance.
www.theboutiquechalet.com/chalet-tataali/
THE BVLGARI HOTEL PARIS
Paris, Île-de-France
Early 2020
5-star expected
Next year sees the opening of the first Bulgari hotel in Paris at 30 Avenue George-V, with 76 rooms and suites, spa with 25-metre pool, bar, restaurant and Parisian courtyard. Set on an exquisite corner of the Triangle d’Or, the hotel has been designed by Italian architectural firm Antonio Citterio Patricia Viel and renowned Parisian architects Valode & Pistre. It will combine classic Haussmannian style with a contemporary rationalistic façade.
www.bulgarihotels.com/en_US/london/whats-on/article/london/at-the-hotel/The-Bvlgari-Hotel-Paris-to-Open-in-2020
CHEVAL BLANC AT LA SAMARITAINE
Paris, Île-de-France
Spring 2020
5-star expected
Japanese architects Sejima and Nishizawo have transformed former iconic department store La Samaritaine into a luxury hotel, the Cheval Blanc. It will boast 72 rooms and suites with far-reaching views of the Seine, cultural spaces, a restaurant, garden terrace and shops. At the centre of the site is an Art Nouveau building crowned with an impressive glass roof, which was completed by Frantz Jourdain in the early 1900s. LVMH eventually plans to open a Cheval Blanc hotel, spa and Louis Vuitton café in London’s Mayfair.
www.chevalblanc.com/en/maison/paris/
www.lvmh.com/houses/other-activities/samaritaine/
LES QUAIS DE LUTECE
Parc Astérix, Hauts-de-France
April 2020
4-star expected
Discover the banks of the Seine in 50 BC! The very first four-star hotel in Parc Astérix will open in spring and will take visitors back to Astérix and Obélix’s time, in the town of Lutèce.
www.parcasterix.fr/en
VAL D’ISÈRE MADEMOISELLE, NEW TO THE AIRELLES COLLECTION
Val d’Isère, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
December 2019
5-star
Airelles hotel collection, part of LOV group, invites mountain lovers to live a magical experience chez Mademoiselle, the new 5 stars hotel, at an altitude of 1,830 m. 41 lodgins, including 11 suites and 5 private apartments with personal butlers, a 1,207 m2 Guerlain Spa with swimming pool, a fairytale children’s kingdom, cosy ski lounge, an array of shops featuring iconic brands, four restaurants with a 840 m2 sun terrace.
A NEW AIRELLES COLLECTION HOTEL IN VERSAILLES
Versailles, Paris-Île-de-France
Spring 2020
5-star expected
The LOV Group is opening another hotel as part of the Airelles Collection brand, this time in Versailles near Paris. The luxury 23-room hotel at 12 Rue de l’Indépendance Américaine is housed in the 17th-century ‘Grand Contrôle, ‘Petit Contrôle’ and ‘Premières Cent Marches’ pavilions, with a view of the palace orangery and across the Pièce d’eau des Suisses lake, as well as a restaurant by Alain Ducasse. The Airelles Collection owns Hotel Les Airelles in Courchevel and La Bastide de Gordes in Provence, as well as the forthcoming Airelles Val d’Isère Mademoiselle (December 2019).
https://airelles.com/en/airelles-collection-properties/
FIRST KIMPTON HOTEL BY IHG IN FRANCE
Paris, Île-de-France
Duo Towers, Paris
2020
Boutique hotel
InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) has announced plans to open the first Kimpton hotel in the home of European fashion and design – Paris. Located in one of the city’s most sought-after districts near the famous Opéra, the luxury hotel is set to open its doors in 2020. The hotel will be fully transformed with Kimpton’s signature bold and playful design to feature 149 guestrooms and 27 suites, luxury spa and fitness facilities and a state-of-the-art meeting space overlooking the chic surrounding streets.
www.ihg.com/kimptonhotels/content/us/en/stay/boutique-hotels-in-paris
MAISON HELER BY STARCK
Curio Collection by Hilton
Metz, Grand-Est
2020/2021
Presented at MIPIM (International Property Market) in Cannes on 15th March 2018, the first hotel designed entirely from scratch by French creator Philippe Starck is scheduled to open its doors in 2020 near the Centre Pompidou-Metz. The building will be one of the 50 remarkable hotels in the ‘Curio by Hilton’ collection. It will have 119 rooms and suites spread over 14 floors – topped by the famous replica of the Salomon Villa on Avenue Foch – as well as a restaurant and cosy bar-salon.
https://maison-heler.com/
Other hotels
LE CHATEAU DES PÈRES
Piré-sur-Seiche, Brittany
42 rooms, close to Rennes, built to resemble a tree. Opening early 2020.
www.chateaudesperes.fr/
SOGEHO HOTEL
Strasbourg, Grand-Est
5-star, 116 rooms and luxurious suites in a former police hall.
Opening November 2020.
www.sogeho.com/en/
THE HUB
Grenoble, Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes
Hostel, opening November 2020.
www.lehub-privilodges.com/en/
MAISON ALBAR
Nice, Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur
5-star, opening end 2020.
www.maisonalbar.com/fr/
HOTEL DU COUVENT
Nice, Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur
5-star, 66 rooms in a 17th-century covent in the old town of Nice. Opening 2020.
New Transport Routes
Jet2
- London Stansted – Bergerac, from 23/05/2020 until 19/09/2020, summer only
- London Stansted – La Rochelle, from 23/05/2020 until 19/09/2020, summer only
- Birmingham – Nice, from 09/03/2020 until 30/10/2020, all year
- East Midlands – Grenoble-Alpes-Isère, from December 2019 to April 2020
Easyjet
- Bristol – Lyon, from 12/12/2019 untill 28/03/2020, winter only
TUI Airways
- London Gatwick – Chambéry, winter only
- Bristol – Toulouse, from 29/12/2019 to 08/03/2020, winter only
Ryanair
- Dublin – Marseille, summer only, five per week
- Dublin – Toulouse, summer only, daily
- Bristol – Grenoble-Alpes-Isère, from December 2019 to April 2020
Air France
- Cork Airport – Paris-Charles de Gaulle, addition of a new early morning flight from Cork and a late evening service from Paris, complement the existing daily schedule, from April to October 2020
For further information please contact:
Niamh Waters
Account Manager Ireland, Atout France
niamh@travelmedia.ie
+353 86 0492394