Catherine Oden, director, French Tourism Development Agency, reveals that even after living in India for nearly nine years, she can’t get enough!

The French Connection

l Atout France

Catherine Oden, director, French Tourism Development Agency, reveals that even after living in India for nearly nine years, she can’t get enough!

She looks visibly tired in her South Mumbai offices. And yet, she never tires of smiling. Catherine Oden is back from three weeks on the road, travelling all over India with a French delegation, but has absolutely no complaints. “I love India. It all started when I was quite young and read about India in numerous books,” reveals Catherine. Ask her to name one book and she shakes her head. “No, it is too hard to pick just one, but A Princess Remembers by Gayatri Devi will always be a personal favourite.” Catherine’s professional stint in India began in 2002, when she came to Delhi to set up the first office for Atout France and then to Mumbai in 2004. Except for the few years in between when she was working in Japan, Catherine has spent about nine years in India. “It was very exciting to be the first one to set up office here. I had to learn about the market from A-Z. Now, I am somewhere in the middle of the alphabets! But, it was a great opportunity to learn about the Indian market and to convince our French partners to come on board.” After almost a decade spent in the market, Catherine is now enjoying the fruits of her hard work. “When I came in there were about 80,000 visitors going to France annually, today there are over 300,000,” she smiles with pride. Even though France for many might mean Paris, Catherine’s challenge is to find out what experiences the Indian traveller seeks. “I happen to be someone who goes out every night and meets people. Informally, I try to find out what their preferences are. It is all about knowing what they like to do. So, I chart itineraries on that basis. I can say that I have a pretty good picture of who wants to go where and how,” says Catherine. “One must understand the age, motivation to travel, likes and dislikes of the traveller. The ideal way to explore France is by car, but not too many people do that. I personally believe that anyone who can drive in India can drive anywhere in the world,” smiles Catherine. However, she is seeing more and more travellers exploring Provence, Aquitaine and the small villages in the country to experience different aspects of France. “In Provence you can see olive mills, visit goat cheese makers which is a very different experience altogether,” she says. The agency is soon going to launch a campaign — ‘Be there, Do that’. Catherine sums up the campaign for us, “We like to present unique experiences in France. Paris equals France for people, but we are here to change that and redefine France as a fun destination. I believe that France is a family destination.” Considering she matches French destinations with personalities, it’s obvious that Catherine has extensively travelled within France herself. What is her favourite region? “Definitely, Provence and I love the Alps. Lyon, which is the food capital of the world is special too! I am from Bordeaux in the Aquitaine region, especially Dordogne has small villages which offer a unique experience and it is very special. Further south, I’d pick Biarritz and Brittany for its rugged coast. Food, culture and everything is so different,” Catherine gushes with excitement. ‘’I have had the pleasure of visiting all our 24 regions and I never tire of going back!” she confesses. In India, she loves Rajasthan and visits it as often as she can. In the last few years, she has seen the Indian traveller get more demanding. People want to spend longer durations in France exploring the country, she says. “I think we see travellers across all ages and sections of society. Though people still travel in groups, we are now seeing an increased interest in discovering the country independently without professional guidance.’’ Guided or unguided, the French countryside is definitely attractive and with Catherine’s effort, there has got to be an itinerary made just for you!