Voted the world’s best destination for festivals and events, Cannes is rolling out a 12-month tourism strategy
10/12/2024
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Le 07 October 2024
World Travel Awards : for the 4th year running, Cannes voted best events destination in Europe 2024
The 31st awards have been announced: Cannes has once again been voted Europe’s Best Events Destination 2024 at the World Travel Awards, the benchmark for the tourism industry. Cannes took first place on the podium ahead of Barcelona, Budapest, Dublin, London, Munich, Derry, Madeira and Venice. By winning this title for the 4th year running, Cannes has confirmed its position as Europe’s leading events destination. This recognition extends to the global stage, with the successive titles of World’s Best Destination for Festivals and Events in 2022 and 2023.
“World Champion 2022 and 2023, European Champion 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024: Cannes has further consolidated its central position on the international stage by winning a fourth consecutive European title at the World Travel Awards, the Oscars of tourism, where no other French city had ever won before. This result was achieved against such renowned competitors as Barcelona, Budapest, Dublin, London, Munich, Venice, Madeira and Derry. This distinction, which enables our destination to compete once again for the world title, testifies to our unanimously recognized expertise in hosting and organizing the biggest international festivals and events.
It is also recognition of the investments we are making in every district of the city to improve the quality of life, air and plant spaces, make them accessible to people with disabilities, enable everyone to enjoy beautiful, large terraces, editorialize our streets and squares, and constantly make our destination more attractive and competitive. The ultimate goal is for everyone to feel at home in Cannes, whether they live here or visit, and to be able to carry out their professional activities in the best possible conditions.”David Lisnard, Maire de Cannes
“This new distinction at the World Travel Awards rewards the fruit of many years of hard work and effort on the part of the Palais des Festivals et des Congrès de Cannes teams, as well as the invaluable contribution of our customers and partners who stand by our side. This title also testifies to our ongoing commitment to our mission of “Welcoming the World Sustainably”, and thus reaffirms our destination as the place to be for events in Europe.”
Jean-Michel Arnaud, Président du Palais des Festivals et des Congrès de Cannes
Major investments for an increasingly competitive destination
Since 2014, Cannes Town Hall has invested 655 million euros in beautifying the city and making it more attractive. David Lisnard has made this one of the priorities of his mandate. Looking ahead to 2023, the Town Hall has committed 69 million euros in investments to revitalize the city and improve the quality of life. This amount has been devoted to the redevelopment of Bocca-centre, the requalification of the Allées de la Liberté, the modernization of the Palais des Festivals et des Congrès, the renovation of the Centre d’Art Contemporain la Malmaison, the creation of a multifunctional village hall in La Bocca, the embellishment of La Croisette, the Nouvelle-Frayère urban renewal program, the restructuring of the Forville market, the plan to combat heat in schools and nurseries, the acquisition and renovation of social housing, etc.
In addition to the work carried out by the municipality, private hotel investments are also substantial and even exceptional for a city of 75,000 inhabitants. In fact, over a billion euros have been invested by private establishments such as the Carlton Cannes, the Martinez, the Mondrian and the Canopy By Hilton in 2023, to name but a few. This testifies to the confidence placed in our destination. Restaurateurs, beach operators and activity providers also continue to invest every year to offer the best possible experience to visitors and locals alike.
Thanks to these substantial investments and the constant drive and commitment of Cannes’ socio-professionals, the destination is thriving, attractive and internationally competitive.
