|
Languedoc-Roussillon - France’s fastest-growing business centre after Paris-Ile de France and one of Europe’s most dynamic regions – has opened its fourth overseas city foothold, in central London’s Cavendish Square.
 The only French region to have established official bases in the world’s major financial and business centres (Brussels, Milan, Shanghai, London, and shortly, New York), Languedoc-Roussillon will use these offices to promote commercial interests between the UK and the south of France, focusing on business areas including food, wine and tourism.
Obviously, this is music to the ears of anglophones with business interests (such as gîte and B&B accommodation, holiday home rentals or property sales) in the Languedoc.
The opening of the Maison de la Région Languedoc-Roussillon represents a significant step in the region’s plans to expand its economic and commercial interests worldwide, and is part of the expansion strategy launched by the region’s President, Georges Frêche.
The role of the Maison de la Région Languedoc-Roussillon is:
- to develop export opportunities for Languedoc-Roussillon-based businesses
- to research and monitor economic data, commercial and business opportunities within the host country
- to facilitate communications between official organizations charged with economic growth
- to represent and promote the region’s food and wine exports, under the Sud de France brand, building partnerships between producers, importers, distributors and retailers
- to promote and encourage the region’s tourist industry
- to facilitate requests from the partners of the Languedoc-Roussillon region wishing to invest in the host country
Bringing Languedoc-Roussillon to central London
With the opening of the Maison de la Région Languedoc-Roussillon on London’s Cavendish Square, this area just a minute from Oxford Circus now has a certain je ne sais quoi.
The southern French region of Languedoc-Roussillon is following a strategy launched in 2004 by its President, Georges Frêche, to raise its profile in key cities around the world.
Four years on, four Maisons de la Région Languedoc-Roussillon have opened their doors to business partners and the general public, promoting the region’s exports and interests overseas, and encouraging trade and tourism.
A focus on food, wine and tourism
One of the Maison de la Region’s key objectives is to promote Languedoc-Roussillon’s food and wine offering overseas, under the Sud de France banner, and to encourage visitors to discover the delights of this part of the south of France.
London is an obvious location for the region to set out its stall, given the fact that the UK is the third-largest importer of AOC Languedoc-Roussillon wines (97,000 hectolitres/€24 million/£20 million in 2007).
British consumers love Languedoc-Roussillon’s wines: we drank over 480,000 hectolitres (64 million bottles) in 2007, and our consumption is predicted to increase.
With over 82 million visitors (of which 11.2 million were from the UK) in 2007, France remains the world’s number one tourist destination, and of France’s 22 mainland regions, Languedoc-Roussillon is the fourth most popular with holidaymakers.
The region is upping its game with a 160 square metre central London showroom, complete with offices and meeting rooms available to business partners and the travel trade, plus tourist information for the general public.
London’s Maison de la Région Languedoc-Roussillon was inaugurated on June 18th, 2008, by Georges Frêche, President of Languedoc-Roussillon. It is managed by Cécilia Gonzalez, and has a bilingual French staff of four.
La Maison de la Région Languedoc-Roussillon
6 Cavendish Square
London W1G 0PD
Tel. 020 7079 33 44
www.maisondelaregionlanguedocroussillon.com
|
