Cannes Film Festival 2021 New Challenge: How To Attract Attendees?




In a typical year during the Cannes Film Festival, this city’s hotels are sold out months in advance and tickets to screenings are impossible to get. But with the festival ending its 2-week run today amid ongoing concerns about the pandemic, Cannes’ tourism industry faced the unprecedented challenge of convincing tourists to make the trip through promotions and marketing.


While Cannes hosts major conferences throughout the year that attract visitors from around the world, the film festival remains a breed apart. Normally, the population of Cannes triples during the festival, from 74,000 to more than 200,000.


That accounts for about €195.87 million in economic impact, a large portion of the annual €800.7 million generated by tourism activity in Cannes. For hotel owners, the festival generates 10% to 15% of their annual revenue.


Unfortunately, Cannes hotels were only projected to be about 60% booked for this year’s festival, Christine Welter, president of the Cannes Hotel Owners Association, told La Tribune. That left owners trying to get the word out about availability to visitors who might otherwise never imagine they could book a room during such a prestigious and glamorous event. pgslot


Barriere Group Bargains
France’s Barriere Group, one of the country’s most iconic names in the hotel industry, runs two hotels in Cannes: Le Majestic and Le Gray d’Albion. Typically, those suites, rooms, and private lounges are booked by big Haute Couture brands year after year. which use them as their festival headquarters.


But this year, one of Barriere’s marketing pitches included a different appeal: “Typically booked out months in advance, US travelers have a unique - perhaps once-in-a-lifetime opportunity - to experience the cinematic glamour of Cannes without the crowds.”


In an interview, Barriere CEO Dominique Desseigne said the hotels invested €4 million in health protection, including € 2.5 million for its casinos and gaming clubs. But Barriere has also offered a greater range of booking options as cross-border travel has remained uncertain.