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Day: 22 June 2023

Superstar Robbie Williams to play at the Red Cross Gala  

by: Stephanie Horsman
22/06/2023
robbie williams red cross gala

British popstar Robbie Williams is headlining this year’s Red Cross Gala, one of the biggest events on the Monaco social calendar.  

For 74 years, this summertime charity soirée has attracted the great and the good of the Principality as well as top drawer talent. 

Some of the biggest names in music have been part of the Gala, including Joséphine Baker, Frank Sinatra, The Beach Boys, Stevie Wonder, Sir Elton John, Duran Duran, Sting, The Scorpions, Lionel Richie, John Legend… And now it’s Robbie Williams’ time to shine at a sold-out concert event at the emblematic Salle des Etoiles.  

AN ICON IN MONACO 

Pop icon and former Take That singer-songwriter Williams is set to take the stage on 29th July in a set that will not only feature songs from his recent album XXV, but also mark 25 stellar years as a solo artist.  

The album is comprised of many fan favourites that have been re-recorded with Dutch jazz and pop orchestra Metropole Orkest, the biggest full-time ensemble of its kind in the world.  

WHAT TO EXPECT FROM THE EVENT 

In addition to a rocking good time on the entertainment front, the night will run a tombola offering up some pretty spectacular luxury prizes, such as jewellery and art, and which constitutes a major feature of the fund-raising drive the Gala gets its name from.  

This is a truly prestigious event that has for decades brought together the Princely Grimaldi family with personalities from the Principality and beyond. Prince Albert II will certainly be in attendance as the official opener of the ball, leading guests onto the dancefloor come midnight.

 

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Photo source: Monte-Carlo SBM

France will persuade tourists to discover new areas to relieve travel hotspots

by: Stephanie Horsman
22/06/2023
france tourists

The French government is proposing a new scheme to encourage tourists away from conventional hot spots and onto lesser-known destinations in an effort to preserve and protect the environment. 

According to a government report, 80% of France’s tourism activity is concentrated in 20% of the country, with the French Riviera being one of the most heavily impacted areas. This is saying something in a country that boasts more visitors than any other in the world.  

Though the economic benefits of being a touristic hot spot are great, there are many consequences that come along with them that are less-than-desirable.  

PROBLEMS ARISE 

One of the more dramatic problems that heavily touristic places encounter is that real estate prices get driven up by an influx of people who are willing to pay more to get a piece of the magic, leading to the locals resenting and rejecting tourists.  

Also, the most popular destinations at peak season are often so overrun that they simply become unpleasant for locals as well as guests. 

Then there is the matter of the environmental impact, with services being over-burdened, air quality suffering, natural spaces being cleared to make way for more accommodation, clogged motorways, and threats to biodiversity in general.  

SENSIBLE SOLUTIONS  

To counteract the bad without putting off tourists, the government has devised a plan. Minister for Tourism Olivia Grégoire and the network of Grands Sites de France are co-managing a working group dedicated to the observation of tourist flows in the first half of 2023.  

“The ambition of the plan, in the long term, is to discover lesser-known sites of French cultural heritage and to encourage tourists to discover [these] equally interesting places,” says a government spokesperson.   

To achieve the goals, a four-axis strategy that includes learning more about tourist flow management, raising awareness, measuring impacts and offering support to the regions to help with organisation will be implemented.  

 

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Photo source: Oscar Nord for Unsplash