The Lemon Festival began on February 12, and already the Menton merchants are noticing the difference. This festival brings a large number of visitors to the city. Joรซl, who works as a confectioner, is sure that “it’s the biggest month of the year. For us, it’s even better than Christmas!” he exclaims.
All the merchants agree: the Lemon Festival attracts tourists. They want to discover the city’s specialties, and when it comes to shopping, they don’t hold back. In a Menton products store, Dominique is busy with customers: “The Lemon Festival brings us everything. We’ve been selling our products during this period for 38 years now. We only have specialties from here, and that’s what tourists love.”
Because it’s not just the French who come to celebrate the lemon. There are also many foreigners. On the streets, you can hear German, English, and even Chinese. Alain runs a pastry shop and also sells regional confections: “It’s a globally known festival. As a result, it attracts many foreigners. Not just tourists from Europe, but also Americans, Chinese, and Japanese. It’s the time when we work the most.”
With tourists from all over the world, the merchants adapt to their clientele. Sylvie works in a souvenir shop and emphasizes: “Even if it’s all positive for us, we still have to adapt. Our customers during this festival are often foreigners. They come by bus and only stay for the day. So they don’t have time, they want to buy quickly.”
At the end of this first day of the festival, the results are more than satisfactory for the sellers. It remains to be seen if the year 2010 will be as beneficial as previous years, despite the economic and financial crisis that struck the world.
