French envoy inaugurates tourism kiosk

The Ambassador of France Alexandre Ziegler on Monday inaugurated the first-ever Atout France tourism kiosk in India, which is expected to benefit tourists.

Bengaluru residents as well as those from outside can now apply for their visa to France -- which would open the doors to all countries in the Schengen Area -- in the centrally-located office in Langford Town.

In a global first for France's tourism promotion agency Atout France, the tourism kiosk was inaugurated at newly-relocated France Visa Facilitation Service (VFS) Centre here, a statement from the French embassy said.

This VFS-Atout France initiative is a pilot project for disseminating information about France's wide-ranging tourism opportunities. It will also enable travellers to book tickets and passes in advance for concerts, museums and touristic monuments in France while applying for a visa.

Other centres will be hand-picked across the country in the near future, with Mumbai and Delhi being the next. Dedicated staff trained by Atout France will man the kiosks to guide travellers.

Welcoming the initiative, Ziegler said, "France is the preferred tourism and business destination globally, receiving around 83 million tourists in 2016. It is a favourite outbound destination in India -- in 2015 alone, a record 5 lakh Indian travellers visited France."

--IANS

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