TORONTO — France is red hot these days, with Emmanuel Macron’s historic win earlier this week to become the country’s new president, and the upcoming Cannes Film Festival kicking off in just a few days. With so much ‘joie de vivre’ on full display, there was no better time for Atout France – the country’s official Tourism Development Agency – to embark on a North American roadshow, which included a stop in Toronto on May 8.

The agency brought along a delegation of over 40 tourism partners from the Provence and Côte d’Azur tourist boards to showcase the region’s top tourism offerings this year and beyond. Provence, which includes the Côte d’Azur, is experiencing a resurgence in recent months, thanks in large part to a government grant awarded last year to the Côte d’Azur region to promote tourism on an international scale.

As a result, Provence and Côte d’Azur rank as the second destination in France among international tourists, and the first for golf, yachting, cruises, festivals and UNESCO heritage. According to Loïc Chovelon, CEO of Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur Tourism, there’s been a 50% increase in stays in the spring and fall months, with shoulder season gaining in popularity.

And even more heartening is the fact that 50% of bookings to the region come from travel agencies, with the other 50% booking direct.

Interest has never been greater, particularly among Canadians, who comprise the region’s second international market outside of Europe (behind the United States). Canadians contributed 1.2 million overnights in 2016, an increase of 17% over the last five years, with numbers expected to grow in light of increased airlift.

On June 9, Air Canada will launch direct service from Montreal to Marseille, while Air Transat will also increase frequency to the French city. In total, Canadians will have access to 14 weekly flights from Montreal to Marseille Provence and Nice Côte d’Azur airports with the two airlines.

Both Provence and Côte d’Azur are also benefitting from recent rebrands: Provence launched its new brand – Brand Provence – in April 2017 with a focus on lifestyle, gastronomy and living culture, while Côte d’Azur, which will no longer be known as the ‘French Riviera’, unveiled its new campaign in late 2016. It has now been linked to the main Atout France brand, the first French destination to do so.

Despite dropping its ‘French Riviera’ moniker, which Eric Doré, Managing Director of the Côte d’Azur France Tourism Board told Travelweek will take a few years to stick, the destination will continue to be known for its glitz, glamour and holiday splendour. But in an effort to expand its appeal to a wider audience, the tourist board is promoting alternative offerings, like gastronomy (cooking classes are available with famous chefs), nature (Côte d’Azur is home to 80 gardens and launched its first garden festival last month), and MICE (it offers 18 convention centres and 60 hotels that can accommodate events).

The region is also heavily pushing sports tourism; Côte d’Azur is home to Europe’s biggest tennis facility – Mouratoglou Tennis Academy – as well as the new Vesubia Mountain Park, Europe’s biggest indoor canyoning centre. And let’s not forget about Provence’s biggest sporting attraction – the Grand Prix. After a 10-year hiatus, the Grand Prix de France Formula 1 will return to Le Castellet for five sessions between 2018-2022.

The forecast for France is definitely bright, especially in light of Macron’s presidential win. According Doré, the mood in France has never been more hopeful.

“Macron is very good for tourism,” he said. “We were faced with the choice between an open country versus a closed one, and luckily open won. With Macron as president, hopefully France will remain open.”