The Monaco tourist & Convention authority announces the launch of its 2006 promotional campaign
With a view to consolidating its position as the world’s leading deluxe tourism brand, and as part of its strategic five-year plan, the Monaco Tourism and Conference Department has announced the launch of its new campaign for 2006, entitled: Larger than life Monaco. This series of promotional, advertising and publicity activities has the twofold aim of building awareness among new individual international clients where top of the range leisure stays in the Principality are concerned, and also to significantly expand tourism related to conferences, congresses, exhibitions and incentive trips. This initiative is designed in response to the major challenges and opportunities facing the Principality: An increase of 34% in its hotel capacity including the recent opening of a new resort which considerably boosts the Principality’s traditional range of tourism opportunities. The renovation of most of the existing hotels. The opening of new health and fitness centers further adding to the existing facilities available at the Thermes Marins de Monte Carlo (Monte Carlo spa). The creation of a number of new restaurant, bar and evening entertainment concepts. Improvements to the Grimaldi Forum Monaco international conference centre, to mark its fifth anniversary. The recent opening of the new semi-floating seawall and its accompanying harbor station. Thanks to its originality and dynamism, this new campaign also offers an effective response to a number of factors including major changes in consumption patterns, the fast pace of change in commercial distribution channels, the slowdown in economic growth seen in the Eurozone, the fragile international geopolitical climate and the recent threat posed by the bird flu pandemic. The campaign also coincides with a number of major cultural events including the reopening of the Opéra Garnier, the 150th anniversary of the Monte Carlo Philharmonic Orchestra, the 20th anniversary of the Monte Carlo ballets and the 30th anniversary of the International Circus Festival. The Principality of Monaco’s head of tourism Michel Bouquier explained that “the short-term aim of the ‘Monaco Larger Than Life’ campaign is to significantly increase both the overall number of hotel stays and the average length of each stay. In the medium and long-term, the objective is to consolidate Monaco’s position as the world’s leading luxury tourism brand”. Mr Bouquier also added that following an excellent year in 2005, the year 2006 should see the Principality achieving results comparable to those witnessed in 2000, which was Monaco’s best ever year for tourism with a total of 300,000 arrivals and 900,000 overnight stays. “The recent opening of the Monte Carlo Bay Hotel & Resort has given Monaco a whole new dimension, propelling the Principality forward into the 21st century. Thanks to this new tourism complex, we can now complete with the most sophisticated international destinations, and satisfy the requirements of even the most demanding clients. Both Monaco as a tourism destination and all of its tourism professionals can today take advantage of the benefits offered by an excellent additional sales and communication team. Where the competitive value for money aspect is concerned, “the world’s leading luxury tourism brand” can now make the most of the major modifications and improvements to its range of tourism facilities, benefiting both leisure tourists and business tourism clients alike”. The campaign is focusing on 4 target segments: Individual leisure, tourism, Business tourism, Cruises and Transit tourism. Leisure tourism: leisure tourism accounts for 70% of the Principality’s hotel guests. For this major market segment, the new “Monaco Larger than Life” campaign has two main objectives: - Gaining new top of the range international clients and extending the average length of hotel stays, thanks to: The range of cultural and events-related activities, the diversity and quality of which make Monaco a genuine world capital able to compete with even the largest international cities. The excellent range of facilities available at several health and spa establishments including the “Spa des Cinq Mondes” at the Monte Carlo Bay Hotel & Resort, the “Monte-Carlo ESPA” at the Métropole Monte Carlo hotel, the one at the Port Palace hotel and of course the SBM’s well-known “Thermes Marins de Monte Carlo” (Monte-Carlo spa). The outstanding range of “discovery” activities