For the first time ever, the cities of London and Paris have come together, along with Eurostar, to urge people to visit both destinations as part of one trip, The new campaign, launched earlier this week, comes as a result of the March 2018 tourism agreement between the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, and the Mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo. It is easier than ever to discover both as one amazing destination using the Eurostar which takes travellers between the city centres in just 2 hours 15 minutes.
The multimedia marketing campaign, launched this week will be targeted at American first-time millennial visitors and will run for 5 months.
The USA is both London and Paris’ top overseas market with considerable growth over the past couple of years. London welcomed 2.62 million US visitors in 2017, 12.7% up on the previous year and Paris enjoyed a 19% increase in US hotel arrivals, exceeding the 2 million arrivals mark for the first time since 2000.
From 177 Michelin restaurants to 641 parks and gardens, 506 theatres to 325 museums, 3500+ hotels to 42 million selfie opportunities, the unique partnership between London and Paris will showcase the abundance of attractions and hidden gems across the both cities, and will urge travellers to visit now, not later as they will take a whole lifetime to explore.
The Mayor of London’s promotional agency, London & Partners has worked closely with lead partners Paris Tourist Office and Eurostar, to ensure travel between the cities is easy and affordable for visitors.
Other partners supporting the campaign include United Airlines, Marriott and Mastercard.
What’s more, a new website has been launched at londonandparis.com which includes information about both cities, a competition and itineraries spanning different themes including, adventure, culture, hidden gems, icons, food and drink.
With fewer than 1 in 10 millennial Americans (8%) having visited both London and Paris, and over 7 out of 10 (72%) expressing a desire to visit both destinations as part of one vacation, the campaign aims to encourage a younger age group to make the trip overseas to discover all both cities have to offer.
Laura Citron, Chief Executive of London & Partners said:
“We know that once people experience London and Paris, they fall in love and want to visit again and again to discover more. Just over 2 hours apart, whether it’s enjoying an Instagrammable afternoon tea at sketch in central London or hovering over Paris in Ballon Generali; riding down the Champs Elysees in a sidecar with Retro Tour Paris, or zipping up the river with ThamesJet, visitors can flit seamlessly between the two European capitals and uncover all they have to offer.
“These are destinations that have inspired some of the most prolific minds in the world, from Shakespeare to Monet, and that passion and vitality can be felt by all that make the journey.”
Pierre Schapira, Chairman of the Paris Convention and Visitors Bureau said:
“Both cities embody European lifestyle and a mix of freethinking and liberty. With a great number of events taking place every day in each city, from contemporary art exhibitions in Le Marais or in Hoxton to open air festivals and DJ sets at the Rex Club and the Egg, Paris and London have a lot to offer right now! Our two capitals are renowned for their heritage and culture, but they have far more to share, especially for millennials. They offer endless options whether you like fashion, food or adventure.”
Guillemette Jacob, Head of Marketing & Brand, Eurostar, said:
“Paris and London offer visitors an unrivalled choice of arts, culture and entertainment, and visitors can take in the best of both by combining them into a single break. Our high-speed rail service brings the two cities closer together and offers the ideal way to travel from city-centre to city-centre in style and comfort.”
The London and Paris #LondonParisNow campaign officially started on 30 October 2018. For more information, visit www.londonandparis.com
