In their inaugural speeches, elected officials Jean-Michel Arnaud, President of the Palais des Festivals et des Congrès, and Thomas de Pariente, Deputy Mayor in charge of International Relations, Tourism, Events and Decentralized Cooperation. Thomas de Pariente, Deputy Mayor in charge of International Relations, Tourism, Events and Decentralized Cooperatione, underlined the extent to which, whether in terms of culture or development vision, creativity has always been part of the DNA of Cannes and its people. Maud Boissac, Director of Culture at Cannes Town Hall, also gave a presentation on the town’s cultural policy.
The Director of Leisure Tourism at the Palais des Festivals, Laure Toma Auneau, who initiated the program, emphasized that “this strategy has been in place for several years now, thanks to the implementation of a number of new initiatives. s already been a reality, thanks to the implementation of initiatives and collaborations aimed at recreating links and putting Cannois at the heart of the tourism ecosystem. ” The Creative Tourism program offers travelers of all backgrounds, as well as the general public, the opportunity to (re)discover Cannes’ culture and know-how by taking part in workshops with local artists and craftspeople.
An innovative strategy that aims to make creativity a differentiating factor and a vector of sustainable development, in favor of virtuous tourism, positioning Cannes for its offer of experiences that are both authentic and unique. and unique experiences, and also benefits all Cannes residents, notably througha balanced distribution of tourist activity across the territory, year-round and among the players involved.
A program designed and implemented by the Director of Leisure Tourism at the Palais des Festivals, which has received the international CreativeFriendlyDestination label awarded by the Creative Tourism Network® to destinations that focus on this virtuous tourism.
Friday’s event – as well as the visits to artists and artisans scheduled over the preceding days – highlighted Cannes’ immense potential to position itself as a creative destination.Cannes’ immense potential to position itself on the world stage, thanks in particular to the synergies created between the art, culture and tourism sectors, as well as between public and private players.
It’s a cohesion that’s extremely difficult to achieve, and one that makes Cannes a paradigm on a global scale”, as Caroline Couret, Director of the Creative Tourism Network®, was keen to point out , shedding light on the concept of creative tourism around the world, and on Cannes’ assets in particular. These assets and successes earned Cannes the World Trophy for Best Creative Tourism Strategy, awarded unanimously by a jury of international experts as part of the Creative Tourism Awards. Other prizes were also awarded to Cannes-based initiatives, as part ofa special section of the Creative Tourism Awards. The winners were as follows:
- Best Creative Strategy: La République des Arts
- Award for Creative Accommodation: Maison d’hôtes Blue Dream
- Award for Best Creative Experience: Miel à Cannes
Art and creativity were an integral part of the conference, during which artists and craftsmen from Cannes showcased their art and talents, creating in situ pieces of ceramics, sculptures, paintings and other works of art.These included ceramics, sculptures, jewelry, stained glass and bookbinding, to name but a few, while a live mural was created to complement the speeches! A highly auspicious event, which will give rise to many more great actions to come.
