Travel to France through the exhibition "Going on holiday? Come to France!"

The exhibition "On holiday? Come to France!" presents 14 activities that visitors can explore during their holiday in France. From ziplining and scuba diving to visiting beautiful castles, traveling to France has a thousand and one different shades.

Speaking at the Opening Ceremony, Ms. Emmanuelle Pavillon-Grosser, Consul General of France in Ho Chi Minh City, said: "For more than 30 years, France has always been the world's leading tourist destination. Before the pandemic, France welcomed 90 million visitors. In 2022, the resumption of international flights helped France welcome 75 million international tourists, bringing in revenue of 57.9 billion euros."

With 49 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, the second largest sea area in the world; the world's largest ski area with 350 ski resorts; 11 national parks and 58 regional natural parks; nearly 8,000 museums, 6,000 festivals and nearly 45,000 monuments, parks and gardens protected as historical sites; 19,000 km of cycling routes and 17 world-famous vineyards, France has everything it needs to attract tourists.

First of all, there are the Thalassotherapy activities, applied since ancient times, and 88 natural thermal areas. These areas welcome 580,000 tourists every year. Coming to France, there are about 45,000 castles built from the Middle Ages, the Renaissance to the contemporary period to visit. In particular, the Loire Valley was recognized by UNESCO as a World Cultural Heritage in 2000.

Mountain activities (25% of France is mountainous, with the iconic Mont Blanc (4,810 m)) are also extremely popular. These activities contribute 20 billion euros to the tourism economy. These activities focus on ecotourism in the summer and, above all, skiing in the winter.

Cycling tourism is one of France's bright spots. France is now ranked as the second most popular destination for cycling tourism in the world after Germany, with more than 9 million cycling trips per year. 92.5% of the cycling routes in France are covered by the EuroVelo programme: 8,149 km out of a total of 8,806 km across 10 European routes.

Some routes have achieved international renown, such as the Vélodyssée (Atlantic coast), La Loire à Vélo (Val-de-Loire) or the Via Rhôna, which highlight the richness of the region’s geography, culture and heritage. France was twice awarded the Best Cycling Tourism Country in 2017 and 2018 at the International Tourism Fair in Berlin for the importance and quality of its European cycling routes.

Nature exploration activities, both on land and under the sea, in mainland France or overseas. The Antilles-Guyana fascinates tourists with its unique flora and fauna, New Caledonia charms with its UNESCO-listed lagoons and French Polynesia is renowned for its vast expanses of discovery for divers.

Tourists can also explore France on foot or horseback. For sports enthusiasts, France also has many trails, including the most difficult, legendary and prestigious, Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc (UTMB). A month ago, Vietnamese athlete Ha Thi Hau finished 4th in this 100km race! She became the first Vietnamese woman to enter the top 10 of this trail race and also the first woman from Southeast Asia.

France is also an ideal destination for families: you can enjoy a holiday by the sea, in the mountains, in the countryside, or even all three at the same time! The variety of activities in France is unparalleled in the world. From sand yachting on the beach of Débarquement, near Caen, to playing pétanque or donkey riding in the Pyrenees, to visiting museums, monoliths and theme parks, everyone will find something to suit them.

Alternatively, the "petit trains" will give you a different way to see the sights, before exploring one of France's thousands of restaurants, whether starred or not, or taking a break in a garden, such as the Luxembourg Gardens.

Bileo