News from Aquitaine - Spring 2011

ISSN :1767/5537

2011

spring

AQUITAINE TOURIST BOARD NEWSLETTER INFORMATION

SOMMAIRE SUMMARY

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NEWS from

AQUITAINE

River tourism

CroisiEurope : four new river excursions Sailing without licence : “Le Boat” proposes two new itineraries

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A year packed with events, 2011 is the time to celebrate the renovation of Bordeaux’s quays and rediscovery of the river.

Wine tourism

Invent your own wine with B-Winemaker So French : the wine and cheese workshop A web site to discovering Pomerol The quarries of Château Villemaurine Discover South West France “through wine” at Château des Vigiers The world of wine into your home with web site

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2011, the year of the river in Bordeaux : a new look for the River Festival

Business tourism A gourmet product range at Château Haut-Bailly

News

3 The new “A’Liénor” motorway 2 hours between Pau and Bordeaux 7

Transport Bordeaux-Madrid Bordeaux-Dijon Bordeaux-Rome Bordeaux-Barcelone Pau-Southampton

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On line

Gironde : a new web site to get closer to tourists A next-generation for Entre-deux-Mers web site

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Edition

Sales manual, a new format Aquitaine luxuary musts in a press kit Actives holidays in Aquitaine

© Bx fête le fleuve T. Sanson

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Castelnaud-la-Chapelle listed as one of the most beautiful villages in France Biarritz Radisson Blu Hotel is awarded the “Green Key” label A fifth star for Sylvamar campsite

The highlight of the year, Bordeaux River Festival will open this year with a new look.

The festival is held over two days, 18th and 19th June 2011, at the same time as Vinexpo, the international trade exhibition devoted to wine and spirits.

On the agenda: the presence of exceptional tall ships in addition to the faithful Belem (France’s last surviving 19th century threemasted cargo ship), the reconstruction of a typical fishing port with oyster-farming shacks, fishing boats and tasting of sea produce, the departure of forty tall ships for the BordeauxBilbao regatta from the new Richelieu giant floating dock, a traditional Basque barque race and countless events along the quaysides. A swimming race across the Garonne is also scheduled to take place on 18th June.

■ Information : www.bordeaux-fete-le-fleuve.com - www.bordeaux-tourisme.com

Five new Aquitaine hotels receive the European Eco-Label European benchmark in ecological accreditation, the European Eco-Label awards tourism accommodation providers who have set up measures to contribute to environmental protection.

At the end of 2010, five new Aquitaine accommodations have been awarded with this label: the Ville d’Hiver in Arcachon (33), the Auberge de la Truffe in Sorges (24), the Ibis in Sarlat (24), the Best Western Grand Hôtel Français in Bordeaux and the La Rivière hotel/campsite in Les Eyzies-de-Tayac (24).

With 19 hotels and one guest house awarded the eco-label, Aquitaine is France’s leading region in number of accredited tourism establishments. www.hotelvilledhiver.com www.auberge-de-la-truffe.com www.ibishotel.com/gb/hotel-6868-ibissarlat/index.shtml www.grand-hotel-francais.com www.lariviereleseyzies.com

© CRTA

Cookery lessons

© CRTA F. Bloch

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World flavour fanatics with Initial’s chef Get acquainted with gastronomy with Pascal Nibaudeau

For further information about accommodation approved by the Eco-label facility, visit the website: www.eco-label.com

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NEWS from AQUITAINE pro.tourisme-aquitaine.fr

[ RIVER TOURISM ] CroisiEurope launches four new river excursions in Aquitaine

With capacity to accommodate 138 people, the ship measures 110 metres in length and will be making return trips on the waters of Gironde between March and November 2011. On the schedule: four cruises ranging between five and eight days and priced between 529 and 1,000+ Euros, subject to the comfort level and itinerary selected.

• March to November: Bordeaux Discovery 5 days in the largest AOC wine region in the world amongst the châteaux of Bordeaux, Pauillac, the Médoc, Blaye, Libourne and Saint-Emilion.

• April to October: Unique secret heritage 6 days to cover the wine region and the estuary with its multitude of mysterious monuments and islands (the citadel of Blaye, the island and the lighthouse of Patiras...).

• May to September: An encounter with a prestigious region 7 days of travel through numerous appellations, from the famous red wines of the Médoc to the sweet white wines of Loupiac in addition to Bordeaux, Pauillac, the estuary, Blaye, Cadillac, Libourne and Saint-Emilion.

• May to October: Two rivers, the estuary and the Bay of Arcachon 8 days on both fresh and salt water, taking in Bordeaux, Pauillac, the Médoc, Blaye, Libourne and the Bay of Arcachon.

Passengers will be taken from port to port to visit the must-see sights, with optional or prearranged tours available on land. Meals and overnight accommodation are provided aboard MS Princesse d’Aquitaine, which also offers facilities worthy of a hotel: sunbathing area, breakfast rooms, bar...

CroisiEurope chose Bordeaux as a home port for its new cruises thanks to its reputation as a city listed as a world heritage site by UNESCO and its famous vineyards.

Prices include a cruise with half-board accommodation, drinks served during the cruise, meals, a gala evening, on-board entertainment and repatriation insurance.

To allow you to get a feel for MS Princesse d’Aquitaine, CroisiEurope is offering 2-hour lunchtime discovery cruises for a minimum of 80 people in March. Price per person: €39.

■ Information and bookings:

CroisiEurope

Tel. : +33 8 25 33 37 77 www.croisieurope.com

© CroisiEurope

The European leader in river cruises, CroisiEurope is dropping anchor in Bordeaux in 2011, to sail the Garonne, the Gironde and the Dordogne aboard MS Princesse d’Aquitaine.

Sailing without a licence: “Le Boat” offers two new Gascony itineraries

© CRTA Fluvial Terres du Sud

Specialising in inhabitable barge and boat hire with no licence required, Le Boat is taking advantage of the geography of Lotet-Garonne and its abundance of navigable waterways, to launch two new river trips in Gascony.

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The History and Heritage cruise between Montauban and Le Mas-d’Agenais takes place on the Canal de Garonne and the Tarn.

Heritage lovers will be thrilled with the bastide fortified towns along the route as they flow gently down the river, and will have the perfect opportunity to experience the Montech water slope, the famous passage which is every bit as good as a lift.

An additional new route for 2011 is the Medieval cruise which takes in the best of the heritage dating back to the Middle Ages. Sailing along the Canal de Garonne and the Canal de Montech between Montauban and Buzet, passengers will also discover the heritage and gastronomy of Gascony, the Gallo-Roman ruins of Agen and the picturesque village of Buzet.

For your convenience and comfort, Le Boat offers a choice of more than 23 different types of boats for these two excursions.

Amateur sailors can choose between "speedboat" and "barge" style boats, with space for between two and ten people to sleep on board and between two and five “anchors” (units used to assess comfort levels, similar to stars for hotels).

These excursions, which last between 7 and 14 days, are the perfect opportunity to head off on a smooth sailing excursion at your own pace and above all, to discover the region from a different angle: passing through the locks is a notable highlight enabling you to meet other amateur sailors and experience the local atmosphere.

■ Information and bookings:

Le Boat Le Grand Bassin 11492 Castelnaudary Cedex Tel. : +33 4 68 94 42 80 www.leboat.fr

Practical information • History and heritage cruise Distance: 123 km Sailing time: 30 hours Locks: 43 One-way trip in one direction or the other

• Medieval cruise Distance: 93 km Sailing time: 30 hours Locks: 56 Return trip departing from Montauban

SPRING 2011

[ COOKERY LESSONS] Initial’s Chef: cookery lessons for world flavour fanatics A graduate of one of the prestigious Alain Ducasse cooking schools and a Michelinstarred chef, Nicolas Lamstaes has opened a cookery workshop for people of all ages, located in the heart of Périgord: he has called it Initial’s Chef.

With support from his team of GO’s (gourmet organisers), the chef dispenses group lessons (15 people maximum) and reveals his secrets and tricks of the trade to create increasingly flavoursome dishes.

Simple or detailed, the lessons vary from day to day. At lunchtimes, participants learn how to make tasty and above all, easy recipes which they can re-create at home. On Friday evenings, the recipes become more technical so that the trainee chefs can wow their guests at the weekend. Wednesdays are devoted to children and the food they like, while on Saturday, the team organises a tour of the local market to select the best seasonal ingredients before lessons begin.

Lessons take place in a large kitchen area using the master chef’s facilities, starting off at a basic level and finishing with a convivial tasting of the dishes prepared.

Available programmes can be viewed on the web site.

Prices start at €10 for children and €15 for adults for a lunchtime session.

© Mon Nuage

■ Information and bookings:

Initial’s Chef 36-38 rue Gambetta 24000 Périgueux Tel. : + 33 5 53 13 22 94 contact@initialschef.com http://initialschef.com

Get acquainted with gastronomy with Pascal Nibaudeau, the Michelin-starred chef of Le Pressoir d’Argent

Delivered by the Michelin-starred chef, Pascal Nibaudeau, an expert in seafood cuisine, the sessions include the creation of a dish or even an entire menu and the opportunity for onsite tasting.

© The Regent Grand Hôtel de Bordeaux

Menus change from season to season and for the beginning of 2011, the chef has opted for the following dishes: mushroom consommé, vegetable and Ozen quail egg parmentier, potato mousseline with truffle and/or some famous Bordeaux cannelés. A delight for both the eyes and the taste buds!

With capacity for 15 people in each session, the workshops are offered in both French and English. We recommend booking your place at one of these prestigious culinary workshops as soon as possible, as there are just a few dates to choose from in 2011: 5/03, 7/05, 9/07, 10/10 and 5/11.

Price per person: €100 with drinks not included/€140 with aperitifs, wines and water included.

© CRTA

The Michelin-starred restaurant of Bordeaux’s 5-star Regent Grand Hotel, Le Pressoir d’Argent is opening its kitchens to offer gastronomic workshops and lessons.

■ Information and bookings:

Le Pressoir d’Argent 5 cours de l’Intendance 33000 Bordeaux Tel. : +33 5 57 30 43 42 www.pressoir-argent.com

The new "A’Liénor" A65 motorway: a new journey time of just 2 hours between Bordeaux and Pau The opening of the new A’Liénor A65 motorway connecting Langon with Pau via Mont-de-Marsan knocks 50 minutes off the journey time between Bordeaux and Pau. The new motorway will facilitate inter-regional travel and bring the ski slopes and Basque Country closer to the regional capital.

Seven exits from the motorway are already in operation, notably at Bazas, Captieux, Roquefort and Aire-sur-l’Adour.

The journey between Langon and Pau is priced at €19.70 for a private vehicle.

www.a65-alienor.com

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NEWS from AQUITAINE pro.tourisme-aquitaine.fr

[WINETOURISM ] Invent your own wine with B-Winemaker

The workshop begins with participants tasting and commenting on nine different wines with support from professionals, in order to determine their personal taste preferences. Next,

they are invited to test four blends of varieties from Château Haut-Sarpe (Saint-Emilion Grand Cru Classé) in order to create their own wine.

The experience doesn’t end there, as the new winemakers must bottle their wine, design the cork, cap and label with the help of an iPad and add the finishing touches to their unique vintage wine. The whole process is a unique and convivial experience lasting for an

hour and a half. An essential way to take a little of Saint-Emilion home with you! The laboratory where the workshops take place can accommodate up to 16 people, however, customised services are available for larger groups.

For an even more complete experience, the workshop can be coupled with a tasting session and one-hour tour of Château HautSarpe, taking in the winery, the château grounds and the grape-picker’s village, a small hamlet of renovated buildings for accommodating seasonal workers, where you will find a wine bar, the wine-making laboratory, wineries, a gîte for travellers on the Road to Compostela and a windmill.

Organised every day by reservation only for both individuals and groups, the full experience is offered at the price of €80 (all taxes included) (€75 for the workshop and €5 for the château tour) © CCIB

B-Winemaker is offering a unique workshop which allows you to invent "a wine to your own taste and a label in your own style" and leave with an entirely personalised bottle of wine.

■ Information and bookings: © Anaëlb.com

B-Winemaker Office Tel. : +33 5 33 48 49 88 contact@b-winemaker.com http://b-winemaker.com

So French: the wine and cheese workshop of Les Médocaines

The aim of the workshop is to seek out flavours and combinations which are sometimes previously undiscovered - Ossau Iraty & Château Loudenne 2007, Tome de Nouste & Château du Taillan 2005, Laguiole & Château La

Tour de Bessan 2004, Saint Nectaire & Château Paloumey 2004 – in amongst visiting two of the four estates of the wine growers. A flavoursome experience is guaranteed.

Price of workshop: €50 per person ■ Information and bookings:

© Les Médocaines

Four female wine growers from the Médoc appellation who have joined forces to showcase their products and share their wine expertise, Les Médocaines are organising half-day "wine and cheese" workshops at their estates.

Les Médocaines Tel. : +33 5 56 73 17 88 www.lesmedocaines.com www.bordeaux-tourisme.com

A website to discover the Pomerol wine area The prestigious neighbour of SaintEmilion, the Pomerol appellation, has recently launched a new website: www.pomerol-oenotourisme.com.

Available in both French and English, the site offers three packages for discovering one of the smallest appellations in the Bordeaux region: • A tour followed by a tasting session on one of the typical estates of the region (€8 per person to visit one château, €12 to visit two châteaux).

• An 18 km fun excursion which takes the form of a treasure hunt, allowing you to discover the prestigious estates of the appella-

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tion by bike or car, with friends or family. After two to three hours of fun, you will arrive at Pomerol’s largest estate, the Château de Sales, where you will enjoy a tour and tasting of the estate’s vintage wine. Participants will also receive a free bottle of wine (€30 per person).

• A gourmet day (3 to 4 hours) including a tour of one of the appellation estates, a dinner with food and wine combinations with the estate owner and a guided tasting session of four Pomerol wines (prices available by quotation).

The website also features additional services, such as a photo gallery and a click-to-view list of estates within the appellation. More than enough to captivate any aspiring wine tourists.

SPRING 2011

[ WINETOURISM ] The quarries of Château Villemaurine recount the history of Saint-Emilion in stone.The estate has also renovated a section of its extensive network of underground quarries to provide a unique experience for visitors.

In addition to the standard tour of the vat house and winery facilities, guests who want to explore further can follow a guided tour through the depths of Saint-Emilion by the light of a lantern, and enjoy a unique representation where you will discover a whole © Guy Charneau

Situated at the gateway to Saint-Emilion, the famous village and wine region listed as a world heritage site by UNESCO, Château Villemaurine is offering a totally new experience.

During its recent renovation, the château’s vat house and winery facilities were embellished with wood and glass, to offer an impressive architectural fusion in a settlement built entirely

new world of underground passages beneath the village, which were previously used as quarries, mushroom beds and now wine cellars! The tour also provides an opportunity to further your knowledge about the culture and history of the appellation, from the legend of Saint-Emilion to the story of the quarry-workers, before moving on to taste the wines produced by the château.

Château Villemaurine is open to the public between mid-April and mid-November and offers between four and six tours each day, delivered in both French and English subject to request. €12 for adults and €8 for 12-17 year olds.

■ Information and bookings:

Château Villemaurine 33330 Saint-Emilion Tel. : +33 5 57 74 47 30 reservations@villemaurine.com www.villemaurine.com

South West France seen from a wine perspective at Château des Vigiers

The packages include accommodation at the magnificently preserved 16th century château, breakfast, a variable number of dinners in the Château des Vigiers restaurants and others, activities connected with the theme of the package and added extras such as access to the spa and welcome gifts.

Total relaxation and Bergerac wine combines the opportunity to find out about the wines of the Bergerac appellation with a tour of a winemaking estate, a wine tasting session and wellness treatments at the onsite Maria Galland beauty centre.

Périgord: nature, sports and Bergerac wine offers the chance to explore the wine region through various sports activities such as golf, hiking and canoeing.

Heritage and discovery will showcase local architectural treasures (Château de Duras, the fortified towns of Eymet and Issigeac…) and the wine-growing heritage of Purple Périgord.

Truffles and Monbazillac is a package offering wines paired with truffle-based dishes.

The package alternates châteaux tours and tasting sessions with learning about truffle cultivation through a trip to a plantation and

a truffle extraction demonstration. Packages start at €515 per person in low season.

■ Information and bookings:

Château des Vigiers - Le Vigier 24240 Monestier Tel. : +33 5 53 61 50 00 reserve@vigiers.com www.vigiers.com

© CRTA J.-J. Brochard

Situated halfway between Duras and Bergerac in the village of Monestier, the 4star hotel and golf club, Château des Vigiers, is offering four new wine-focused packages for themed breaks of three nights and four days.

Invite the world of wine into your home with www.unvigneronalamaison.fr The web site, www.unvigneronalamaison.fr, allows wine enthusiasts to bring winemakers to their home, free of charge, for an encounter involving the chance to sample their wines.

After registering on the web site, new members can contact the winegrower of their choice or be contacted to arrange the details of a wine tasting session. In addition to the tasting experience, discussion and a shared passion for wine are at the heart of this brand-new concept.

There are currently fifteen Aquitaine wine growers who have signed up to the Un Vigneron à la maison scheme, offering to visit members’ homes to introduce their products and share their trade.

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NEWS from AQUITAINE pro.tourisme-aquitaine.fr

[ BUSINESS TOURISM IN THE VINEYARD ] A gourmet product range at Château Haut-Bailly

As 2011 is a gourmet year for the château, it has created a business tourism offering centred on the pleasures of the dining table and the pleasures of wine. With prestigious wines and a talented chef on hand, the estate is capitalising on the combined provision of reception and gastronomy services. In addition to reception rooms available to hire, Château Haut-Bailly is also offering cookery

and food and wine pairing workshops, private dining tables (customised private lunches created by the chef), the organisation of seminars, prestige receptions and business meals, estate tours... all created on a tailor-made basis with optional challenge activities and entertainment available.

■ Information and bookings:

103 Route de Cadaujac 33850 Léognan Tel. : + 33 5 56 64 75 11 cperromat@chateau-haut-bailly.com slassalle@chateau-haut-bailly.com www.chateau-haut-bailly.com

© J.-B. Nadeau

A Cru Classé wine of the Graves appellation situated in the heart of the wine regions of Graves and Pessac-Léognan, Château Haut-Bailly offers a wide range of business tourism products.

[ NEWS ] Situated just ten kilometres from Sarlat, Castelnaud-la-Chapelle, which neighbours the villages of Beynac-et-Cazenac and La-RoqueGageac, is the fifth village in Aquitaine to be listed as "one of the loveliest villages in France". The village is typical of historical Périgord, with yellow stone, low houses built on hillside terraces, overlooking the confluence of the Dordogne and Céou rivers.

Amongst the many architectural wonders located in the village, don’t miss the two châteaux; the Château des Milandes, formerly owned by the famous performer Josephine Baker, and the Château de Castelnaud, a fortified castle now home to the Museum of Medieval Warfare.

Biarritz’s Radisson Blu Hotel is awarded the “Green Key” eco-label The Radisson Blu Hotel is a 150-room hotel featuring contemporary styling and is the first establishment in the city of Biarritz to receive the "Green Key" eco-label. © Vauban

Castelnaud-la-Chapelle is listed as one of the loveliest villages in France

www.tourisme-ceou.com www.castelnaud.com

This international door-opener for tourist accommodation rewards the implementation of environmental, social and sanitary provisions by an establishment over the course of several years within the framework of a “responsible business” strategy. www.radissonblu.fr/hotel-biarritz

© CRTA J.-J. Brochard

A fifth star for Sylvamar campsite on the Landes coast Situated on the Landes coast in Labenne-Océan, the Sylvamar camping village is part of the Yelloh! Village network and has recently been awarded a fifth star. In addition to its high-quality facilities and privileged location next to the Boudigau River and the coastal cycle path, the establishment has recently opened a bathing area stretching over 2,000 m2 which will be open throughout the year. http://www.sylvamar.fr/camping-landes-fr/index.php

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SPRING 2011

[ TRANSPORT ] Easyjet launches a new Bordeaux-Madrid service Easyjet is now opening a line between Bordeaux and Madrid on 11th March 2011, to provide the only budget airline connection to Spain, departing from the Billi air terminal specifically reserved for budget airline companies.

Flights will run four times a week on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. Priced at €24.49 (all taxes included), the service is currently planned to run until 30th September 2011.

■ Information and bookings: www.easyjet.com/FR

The great wine line from Eastern Airways: Bordeaux-Dijon

Bordeaux-Barcelona at budget prices

A new Bordeaux-Dijon service connecting the two largest wineproducing regions in France has been launched.With two return flights per day from Monday to Friday and a round trip service on Sundays, the flight is operated by Eastern Airways, a company specialising in regional flights. Tickets available from €82 (all taxes included).

A new Bordeaux-Barcelona line is to be launched by Vueling, the Spanish budget airline. Flights will run between 15 April and 28 October 2011. Operated three times a week, flights will leave Barcelona at 11.30 am each Wednesday and Sunday, and at 11.50 am on Fridays.

Return tickets are on sale on the company’s website, starting from €39 including VAT.

■ Information and bookings: www.easternairways.fr

■ Information and bookings:

A second connection between Rome and Aquitaine The Pau-Rome via Marseille service launched by Cityline Swiss in September 2010 will now be operated by the Danish Air Transport company. Instead of the former provision of six round trips per week, the new operator will provide a service from Pau to Marseille four times a week on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays and will travel to Rome on Fridays and Sundays.

These flights serve as a complement to the Bordeaux-Rome flights operated daily by Régional, a subsidiary of Air France.

■ Information and bookings: www.dat.dk - www.regional.fr

[ ON LINE ] A next-generation web site for the Entre-deux-Mers tourist office A true haven for cycling tourism, Entre-deux-Mers now has a new web site, ww.entredeuxmers.com.

Welcoming and easy-to-use, the web site follows new web site trends: large format visuals, shorter menus and intuitive navigation. Offering an abundance of content, it delivers clear and concise information.

Its image library and dedicated press area are two notable bonuses for professionals in the sector. A hint of Web 2.0 facilities and original news features (such as the stonemasonry course, for example) add the finishing touches to a web site that is in constant sync with the requirements of its users.

Tel. : 0899 232 400 (€1.34 per call + €0.34/min incl. VAT) www.vueling.com

Launch of Pau-Southampton summer service The budget airline operator, Flybe has announced the opening of a new Pau-Southampton line for the 2011 season.

Operating between 25th May and 10th September, flights will run twice a week on Wednesdays and Sundays.

This service is the second flight to England available from the airport.

Prices start at €45 for a single flight (all taxes included).

■ Information and bookings: www.flybe.com

Gironde: using the Internet to get closer to tourists At the end of 2010, the Gironde Tourist Board launched its new web site, www.tourisme-gironde.fr, designed to accommodate current ways of presenting information and new online behaviour. In addition to ideas for holidays, excursions and leisure activities, the site promotes countless recommendations and an entire gallery of 2.0 resources linked to social networks (photo and video galleries, links to Flick’r galleries, options to share content...).

Internet users can, of course, plan their holidays with access to tourism offers available in the area, but can also locate them on an interactive map and within an interactive travel planner. If you’re having trouble making up your mind, a travel suggestion tool will analyse your preferences recorded in your “personal space” and propose ideas for tailor-made holidays!

Another original feature of the website is that it will be progressively translated into nine languages (English, German, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Dutch, Russian and Chinese). The different versions will eventually contain their own content, adapted to the requirements of tourists in their specific market.

In keeping with the latest internet developments and the expectations of e-tourists, the web site constitutes an excellent resource for showcasing Gironde.

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NEWS from AQUITAINE pro.tourisme-aquitaine.fr

[ EDITION ]

A new format for the Sales manual, the complete destination guide for tourism professionals For professionals planning or hoping to plan trips to the Aquitaine region, the Regional Tourist Board produces a bilingual guide (French and English) constituting a complete guide to the region.

The CRTA decided to centre this version on the requirements of tour operators in remote markets who need to become acquainted with the main strengths of the Aquitaine offering. With this in mind, in addition to the unmissable tours which have been updated in the new version, the guide highlights four major themes specific to the region (wine tourism, gastronomy, the Road to Compostela and the unspoilt natural environ-

ment) as well as “niche markets” such as golf, river tourism, the provision of wellbeing and cycling tourism.

In addition to practical information, the contact details of the CDT, major tourist offices and tour guides operating in Aquitaine, have been retained.

All other useful information can be accessed and is regularly updated online, at the professional web site of the CRTA, the different sections of which are outlined on page 38 of the new guide.

To download the professional guide, visit: http://pro.tourisme-aquitaine.fr /upload/Guide_Pro_Aquitaine.pdf.

The aim of the new CRTA press kit, entitled Luxury, peace and quiet, and exquisite delights in Aquitaine, is to highlight the luxury and excellence of the region whilst promoting accommodation, tours, shops, producers, artisans and unmissable prestigious events.

The press kit is structured around 12 themes: Stay in a prestige Château, An overnight stay at the home of Empress Eugénie, Delve into the secrets of the black Périgord truffle, Stock up on luxury goods and local handicrafts, Escapism in extraordinary gardens, Sample an exceptional

eau-de-vie, Give in to the temptation of Aquitaine caviar, Life in a feudal town, Experience Château life in the Dordogne, Play golf by the ocean-side, Feel really special in the Basque Country and Sleep in hotels and bed and breakfasts of charm.

The kit promises exceptional experiences and the opportunity to discover scenery and heritage beyond compare.

Available in French and English from the tourism professionals extranet, http://pro.tourisme-aquitaine.fr and by request from the Marketing & Press Relations department of the CRTA.

Active holidays in Aquitaine, the dynamic holiday press kit From Bordeaux to the Pyrenees, and the beaches of the Landes to the land of “bastides” in Dordogne and Lot-et-Garonne, there is an abundance of places to discover in Aquitaine, an endless range of activities and a sea of possibilities for tours and excursions.

Comité Régional de Tourisme d’Aquitaine Cité Mondiale 23, parvis des Chartrons 33074 Bordeaux Cedex Tel. +33(0)5 56 01 70 00 Fax +33(0)5 56 01 70 07 tourisme@tourisme-aquitaine.fr pro.tourisme-aquitaine.fr

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Our selection of recommendations is featured in the new press kit, entitled Active holidays in Aquitaine. Twelve activities are represented in the document, from the peaceful to the sensational, to be carried out alone, with family or with friends. The list is not exhaustive but offers a glimpse of possibilities for leisure activities and things to do in the region: Navigate the waterways, Prepare traditional South West dishes, Mount your majestic war horse, Surf in world-famous hot spots, Walk the Road to Compostela, Celebrate the terroir with gourmet fairs and festivals, Sink into the depths of the earth, Take a hike along the regional footpaths and tracks, Practice naturism, Let your emotions run free in the theme park, Take the high ground: view Aquitaine from above, Fishing in rivers, lakes... and on the beach All our press kits are available on our web site.This press kit is available in French from the professional web site, http://pro.tourisme-aquitaine.fr, and from the Marketing & Press Relations department of the CRTA.

Imprimé avec des encres à base végétale sur du papier issu de forêts gérées durablement certifié PEFC - IL - 337 926 745 RCS.Bordeaux.

All the essentials of Aquitaine in the Luxury, peace and quiet, and exquisite delights press kit