Canada gets the sweet smell of success in France

New maple perfume launch coincides with strong Canadian showing at major Parisian tradeshow

2012-10-11 — /travelprnews.com/ — The Canadian Tourism Commission (CTC) and its partners have been putting some extra va-va-voom into travel to Canada from France over the past few weeks.

IFTM Top Resa at the Porte de Versailles in Paris was the headline act Sept. 18-21. More than 1,110 exhibitors crammed into the events, including 160-plus destinations and 11 airlines. Naturally, the Canada stand was a big draw, where CTC and 18 tourism partners from across Canada looked to boost business with French operators and travel agents.

The Canada stand blended education and networking through a series of eight (twice daily) training workshops for agents. Two agents that successfully navigated the subsequent quiz claimed an iPad each. There were four more iPads on offer to attendees either at the stand or one of the daily evening cocktail receptions.

Pierre Faucher, owner of the Sucrerie de la Montagne, an authentic Canadian sugar shack in the heart of an 120-acre maple forest west of Montréal, QC, and member of CTC’s Signature Experiences Collection^®, was another stellar attraction at the stand, rustling up pancakes laden with maple syrup.

After IFTM Top Resa, Faucher headed to the Hôtel Majestic Barrière on the world-famous La Croisette in Cannes, for the official launch on Sept. 28 of the maple perfume Attire-Moi, a most unusual departure for a SEC^® member. Chantal Roux, co-owner of Galimard, the famous French perfumier, made the unusual offer to devise the scent after a visit to the Sucrerie in 2011. Seeing the Sucrerie made her relive her childhood memories of what she thought Canada was like with the maple forest and its maple smells.

CTC was represented at the launch by its general sales agent Sandra Teakle, managing director of Tourisme Synergique. Proceeds from sales of the perfume are going to the Association Alzheimer Trait d’Union. There was good media coverage of the launch in France, too.

Last month, CTC and Canadian industry partners worked up a real sweat for the cause. Team Canada had 30 reps taking part in the 16^th La Parisienne, an annual 6.3-km (3.9-mi) women-only run under the hot late summer Parisian sunto raise funds for breast cancer research. Team members were a mix of tour operators, travel agents, journalists and airline peeps. Sponsorship, branded T-shirts and lots of water came from CTC, Tourisme Québec and Tourism New Brunswick.

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