Atout France, the national French tourism development agency, under the patronage of the French embassy in Doha, has announced the launch of France.fr – the official dedicated Arabic website for France as a destination.
With the goal of welcoming 100mn tourists to France by 2020, the Arabic version of the website has been developed to increase interest and footfall from the region.
In a press statement, the embassy noted that France.fr is fully adapted with the traveller from the Middle East in mind.
The content created takes into consideration cultural nuances and traditions.
Social media platforms are now available in Arabic to inspire and encourage followers to share their experiences.
User-friendly and optimised for mobile consumption, the new website contains content and information on tourism in France, hotels, restaurants, things to do, culture and heritage, events and museums.
An average of 30,000 Qataris visit France annually.
The number of Qataris visiting Paris has grown 30% in 2018, reaching more than 18,000 Schengen visas delivered for France.
In addition, almost 14,200 visas have been approved for non-Qatari residents last year.
Addressing a press conference, French ambassador Franck Gellet emphasised on the latest services launched over the past year in Qatar to provide more comfort for the traveller.
“The French embassy in Qatar, and its partner Capago MENA, the official visa application centre, are dedicated to make easier the process of visa delivery to France. New services, such as the France-Visas Portal in English and Arabic, VIP lounge at Capago centre in Al Jaidah Square, delivery of your passport directly to your house or work, are there to facilitate the procedures,” the envoy said.
He noted that a mobile biometric system to collect applicants’ fingerprints from their office, home or travel agency have been launched for the first time in Qatar.
Karim Mekachera, regional director of Atout France in the Middle East, said: “Digital innovation is at the heart of our marketing initiatives and we have placed a significant focus on content creation, curation and distribution of the content on France in a number of languages to remain truly connected to people around the world.”
The website’s aim is to boost France’s appeal as a touristic destination, improving its ranking as a top travel destination for the Arab traveller, according to Mekachera.
French ambassador Franck Gellet at the Atout France website launch.
