Cannes gives Rendez-Vous to the British !

En opération séduction à Londres, Cannes donne rendez-vous aux Anglais

After 3 weeks of digital advertising in autumn 2023 in Paris la Défense and 2 weeks at Nice-Côte d’Azur airport, accompanied by online advertising and social networking sites, the “Rendez-vous à Cannes” campaign is continuing with the second phase of its campaign in spring 2024, targeting the UK market.

“The history of Cannes is intimately linked to that of England. The British attachment to our town goes back several decades to the time of Lord Brougham, creating a deep and lasting relationship. Every year, we strive to enhance the appeal of our region by showcasing its rich cultural and natural heritage. We also undertake numerous renovation and embellishment projects in all areas of the town to make it ever more pleasant and attractive. In addition, we carry out numerous targeted communication campaigns, particularly with our British customers, with whom we enjoy an exceptional relationship. We are constantly striving to offer a warm welcome to those who have the privilege of discovering the timeless charm of Cannes. This special relationship with the British continues, helping to make Cannes a key tourist destination in the UK market. We are determined to preserve and enhance this special connection with the British.
David Lisnard, Mayor of Cannes

“The teams at the Palais des Festivals et des Congrès are mobilising on a daily basis to develop the tourism economy 12 months out of 12, with promotional actions targeted at spring, autumn and winter. We are launching an ambitious communication campaign, “Rendez-vous à Cannes”, and creating a network of ambassadors, “Cannes talents”. For a fortnight, the destination will be on display in London, inviting the British to come to Cannes, as we look forward to welcoming them.
Jean-Michel Arnaud, President of the Palais des Festivals et des Congrès de Cannes

“The Syndicat des Hôteliers de Cannes et Bassin Cannois has worked with the SEMEC to develop large-scale promotional campaigns in certain markets for 2024. The British market represents a potential customer base that is highly valued by our hoteliers: these are customers for all categories of establishment, from luxury hotels on the Croisette to charming hotels in the heart of the city. These are visitors who can opt for a short stay thanks to the airline offer in place in Nice, or decide to spend their holidays and take more time to discover Cannes.
Traditionally, British customers choose the wings of the season, and as such we have supported the SEMEC’s campaigns with attractive offers in terms of pricing. The last few years have been difficult, but the ‘love story’ between Cannes and the British is stronger than ever!
Christine Welter, President of the Syndicat des Hôteliers de Cannes et du Bassin Cannois

Cannes and the English, a timeless romance
The love affair between Cannes and the English is nothing new. In 1834, Lord Henry Brougham, an English politician and writer, fell in love with Cannes when he discovered what was then a small fishing village. He decided to settle there, building the first holiday villa in the Croix-des-Gardes district. This decision marked the beginning of a lasting relationship between Cannes and the British, attracting many members of the English aristocracy in later years.

This historic affinity has helped to make Cannes a popular destination for British visitors, with over 60,000 overnight stays recorded annually in Cannes hotels as of 2014. This unconditional relationship has continued over the years, resulting in a significant presence of British and Irish visitors in Cannes hotels, representing 13% of foreign overnight stays in 2023, with an average length of stay of 2.75 nights. In addition, for air travel, including all types of accommodation, the proportion of British-Irish visitors has increased, rising from 20.2% in 2014 to 22% on average between 2022 and 2023, with an average length of stay of 6.5 nights. (*)

Cannes and the British therefore enjoy a long-standing relationship of affection, underlining the crucial importance of the British clientele for the destination.

(*) These figures are taken from the CRT Côte d’Azur’s Touriscope tables.

Cannes now on display in London
The “Rendez-vous à Cannes” campaign is continuing with new visuals and will be on display in the heart of London for 2 weeks (from 11 to 24 March 2024).

This awareness-raising campaign is also being developed through a social-media campaign via the official Instagram and Facebook accounts of the Cannes destination through Reels and stories.

Two conversion campaigns (*) on the UK market
In order to attract as many British customers as possible to Cannes, the Palais des Festivals et des Congrès, which is responsible for promoting the destination, has also undertaken two conversion campaigns on the UK market:
– A conversion campaign with Expedia.fr for 4 months (from 7 February to 15 June 2024) on an offer from 40 committed Cannes hotels of up to 20% off per night.
– A conversion campaign with Lastminute.com in partnership with the CRT Côte d’Azur France for the periods February-March-April 2024.

(*) A conversion campaign is a specific marketing strategy focused on converting a target audience into actual customers. Conversion occurs when people perform a desired action, such as buying a product, subscribing to a service, downloading an application, or any other specific action that the advertiser wants users to perform.
The main objective of a conversion campaign is to maximise the conversion rate, i.e. the percentage of people who go from being mere visitors to actual customers or users.
In these two cases, the aim is to target British customers making a hotel reservation in Cannes via the Expedia.fr and lastminute.com websites.