As this year is coming to a close, we’ll be looking ahead and focusing on welcoming world-wide travel once again and crafting amazing experiences in beautiful destinations. People are starting to travel, and they need your help! So, destination knowledge is mandatory for you to get your clients to the places that are perfect for them.
Your one-stop shop for bolstering your destination and lifestyle knowledge is the industry’s hidden gem: The Travel Institute’s Premium Access Lounge. Learn more about Premium Access and Unlimited Learning.
In it, you will find an incredible array of destination and niche market courses, including the Central Europe destination course from which we have extracted this week’s featured region. In keeping with our promise to make our content relevant, affordable, and accessible, the elves at The Travel Institute are offering a 20% savings on all of our programs, so you can give yourself the gift of education.
Not sure which destination or niche to focus on? Join Patty Noonan, CTC December 14 at 1:00 pm (EST) for a FREE coaching session on Specialization—Finding Your Travel Industry Niche.
And now, to kick off our month of destination highlights, we will go…
…Beyond Paris!
France is the third-largest country in Europe: only Russia and Ukraine have more land. And famous for its sophistication and style, Paris typically will be on your clients’ bucket list. Certainly, you will want to include on your itineraries France’s capital and international gateway city.
However, there is much to see and do outside the city. One region to focus on might be the Eastern/Central wine country, which extends from the Champagne-Ardenne region, through the Alsace and Burgundy regions, and into the Rhône Valley.
Champagne-Ardenne
While it has many imitators, true champagne comes only from Champagne-Ardenne. According to French law, only this region produces what officially can be labeled as champagne. Everything else is sparkling wine.
- Reims — Many of the great champagne cellars are in or, to be exact, underneath the city of Reims. Taittinger, Mumm, Pommery, and Piper-Heidsieck are among the champagne houses well worth a visit.
Alsace
Managing to be both quaint and cosmopolitan, the Alsace region of eastern France is where a mix of European cultures come together in a delightful blend.
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- Routes des Vins d’Alsace (Alsace Wine Road) — A series of signposted country roads that starts southwest of Strasbourg and wanders south for about 80 miles along the eastern foothills of the Vosges Mountains forms the wine road. Along with tasting the crisp local white wines at roadside cellars, visitors will want to stop and explore charming medieval villages, such as Kaysersberg, Ribeauvillé, and Riquewihr.
Bourgogne (Burgundy)
Like the many fine wines long produced there, Bourgogne has gotten only better with age. Although it was the Romans who first brought the concept of winemaking to Bourgogne, it was the Cistercian monks who laid the foundation of the modern wine trade.
- Beaune — This exquisite town of maze-like medieval streets is set in the heart of the region’s most celebrated vineyards. The Musée du Vin de Bourgogne (Museum of Burgundy Wine) features exhibits tracing the history and development of winemaking from ancient times to the present.
- Dijon — The commercial and cultural capital of the region is Dijon, famed for its mustard. The Palais des Ducs et des Etats de Bourgogne (Palace of the Dukes of Burgundy) is home to both the Hôtel de Ville (City Hall) and the Musée des Beaux-Arts (Fine Arts Museum), a treasure trove of paintings and sculpture so highly regarded that it is known as “le Petit Louvre.”
Rhône-Alpes
Whether your clients crave outdoor adventure or prefer to satisfy their cravings at the table, they will find much to enjoy in the Rhône-Alpes. The region encompasses the soaring peaks of the French Alps, with their glamorous ski resorts, mountainside villages, and elegant spa towns. At the same time, it also is defined by the fine wines of the Rhône Valley, such as Beaujolais, the gastronomic and cultural pleasures of Lyon, and historical sites dating back to ancient Rome.
- Lyon — Lyon is France’s primary arts and culture capital after Paris and features world-class opera, ballet, concerts, and theater, along with a rich array of art and history museums. The city’s roots stretch far back into Roman times. The entire historic center of Lyon, which contains a wealth of carefully preserved monuments, has been classified by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. Much of the city’s ancient heritage can be appreciated in Fourvière, a hillside area filled with Roman sites, and Croix Rousse, an enchanting district that once housed the city’s canuts (silk workers). Visitors can take a funicular train to the top for spectacular views of Lyon and environs.
What’s not to love about France? Start your education TODAY on this extremely popular destination! Take advantage of the 20% savings in your yearly subscription for the Premium Access Lounge now.
And always remember to check the varying reopening dates, operating hours, and availability of attractions and accommodations. Before booking clients, be sure to consult sources—like the U.S. State Department or the World Health Organization—for the latest global travel updates for individual countries.
