Nice Premium: Olivier Bertolino, why did you choose the French Riviera and particularly Nice?
Olivier Bertolino: Nice is a city that has very interesting criteria for the Tourism sector. It is the 3rd city in France in terms of GDP per capita; has the 2nd airport in France in terms of scheduled flights, the 1st national cruise port, comprehensive rail and highway networks, and a privileged environment: sea, mountains, and sunshine. Very few places in the world can boast such parameters. Moreover, the clientele from the Côte d’Azur, with high purchasing power, shows a certain enthusiasm for tourism. After Paris, Nice is the only French metropolis that can position a Tourism Expo on a global scale.
NP: What is the true positioning of this Expo?
OB: Such a particular context requires not offering an overly generalist expo. We wish to eventually, as soon as possible, bring together the largest number of professionals and institutions internationally and become THE Southeast International Tourism Expo. Only Nice has that potential.
NP: How do you position yourself compared to the other two flagship expos on the French Riviera, the Monte Carlo Travel Market in Monaco and the ILTM in Cannes?
OB: We are not in competition with these two expos. On the contrary, I would rather say there is great complementarity between us. Our presence thus helps to complete the offer and meet the demand and specifics of the clientele on the Côte d’Azur.
NP: What are your objectives for this expo, your expectations, especially in terms of attendance?
OB: We obviously hope for an increase in the number of visitors. The goal remains to do better than previous editions. In the last two, we recorded attendance between 10,000 and 12,000 visitors. We hope to at least repeat this performance. Ultimately, the main objective is to be the most comprehensive expo possible in terms of international offerings.
NP: What are the differences this year compared to previous editions?
OB: Even if the number of stands has not increased, the offer is much more diverse and complete than in previous years. Several destinations have come to broaden the existing palette, such as China, Morocco, Indonesia, and even Corsica.
NP: Is there a standout destination this year?
OB: Not yet, the expo is too young. We lack many important destinations like North America, Scandinavia, or even Great Britain. We hope to have them with us in future editions.
NP: How do you envision the future of the Expo?
OB: We are doing everything possible to soon have destinations like Croatia, Eastern Europe, the Maghreb, or even the United States. We have been working on this for several years. Our wish is to have them one day, their presence would be extremely beneficial for the expo. A large number of destinations are interested in being represented in the future such as Israel, Qatar, or Dubai.
