Since the beginning of the first trade shows, direct contact has emerged as the best way to communicate. The development of IT has enhanced this trend. Virtual contacts can stimulate or initiate physical meetings however in any case, they cannot be substitutes. This explains the massive growth of meetings, incentive events and other exhibitions. This is commonly referred to as business tourism. Business tourism is a pertinent and modern media in order to meet, communicate, facilitate ideas and form product interactions as well as to enable new concepts available to people. France is becoming an expert in the global business tourism industry (French Tourism Authority 2007). Tourism is a key market with crucial importance for Paris and its region. According to two relevant international organizations, the International Congress & Convention Association (ICCA) and the Union of International Associations (UIA), Paris has been the world's leading business tourist destination for congresses since 1979.
[...] From this data collection strategy, it is possible to provide a theoretical literature review and empirical findings. The primary objective is to offer recommendations, in order to propose a model to maintain the leadership of Paris in business tourism market. BIBLIOGRAPHY Cooper, D. & Schindler, P Business Research Methods. NY: Mc Graw Hill. European Tourism Organization “The European Union and Tourism”. [online]. Available from: http://www.touteleurope.fr/fr/actions/economie/transports- tourisme.html [10th June 2008]. French Tourism Authority France and Tourism: global figures. France: Minister of Tourism. [...]
[...] Business tourism constitutes a pillar of the Paris touristic activity. Business tourism in the French capital knows a powerful growth and allows registering high room occupancy rates. Nevertheless, this rate decreased by 3.2 points compared to 2006. Furthermore, companies increasingly associate business tourism as a real marketing tool. They show a current and growing need to communicate. According to the European Tourism Organization (2008: more than 50% of companies think that travelling is the best method to stimulate people. As the French Tourism Authority (2007: 32) points out, customers' targets in business tourism are large: from bottom end of the market to premium customers of a specific niche. [...]
[...] The secondary data analysis provides market characteristics, driving forces, strategic issues facing France and Paris. Concluding with an in-depth SWOT analysis seems relevant for this theoretical literature review. The literature review gives us details about what organizations and authors think and how they feel about the top destination. Surveys and studies, done by the Paris Convention and Visitors Bureau, as well as Paris Airports Authority, the Paris Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Paris and Ile-de-France regional tourist board, provide a host of figures and information. [...]
[...] These interviews are done face-toface or by telephone with relevant people, working in the business tourism such as: Mr Paul Roll, Managing Director of the Paris Convention and Visitors Bureau Mrs Carole Zerah, Director of Business Tourism at the Paris Convention and Visitors Bureau Mr Jean-Bernard Bros, Deputy Mayor of Paris, in charge of Tourism Mr Francis Mouton, Director of Promotion and Animation of the Public Body for the Development of La Défense Mrs Marie Richard, 14th Vice-Chairman of the Ile-de-France Regional Bureau, in charge of Sports, Leisure and Tourism Mr Jacques Ho Ta Khanh, permanent consultant for the French Tourism Directorate Furthermore, seventeen business customers are interviewed in order to analyse data from the demand side. A questionnaire is used in order to ask the same types of questions to participants. It is a qualitative questionnaire to understand the situation of the Paris business tourism segment, its causes and its consequences. To find recommendations, it is useful to follow an “unstructured”, “exploratory”, “open-ended” and “in-depth” questionnaire (Cooper and Shindler 2006: 385). It is an “inter-method mixing” data collection strategy. The aim is to corroborate qualitative and quantitative findings to give some efficient and truthful recommendations. [...]
[...] Business tourism is a pertinent and modern media in order to meet, communicate, facilitate ideas and form product interactions as well as to make new knowledge available to people and increasingly to train. In a worldwide market of € 23 Billion, France and especially Paris are becoming experts in the business tourism industry (French Tourism Authority 2007). Tourism is a key market with crucial importance for Paris and its region. According to two relevant international organizations, the International Congress & Convention Association (ICCA) and the Union of International Associations Paris has been the world's leading business tourist destination for congresses since 1979. [...]
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