Monaco records high visitor numbers and “extremely positive” feedback over the holidays

10/01/2024

With the festive season behind us, the director of Monaco’s tourism board, Guy Antognelli, has shared a very positive assessment of the hotel industry and how it fared during the holidays.

Announcing higher than average hotel occupancy rates for the entire month of December, Antognelli has reported that around 50% of the Principality’s hotel rooms were taken during the week of Christmas. Even better were the remarkable figures for New Year’s Eve, which saw hotel occupancy rates rise to an impressive 90% and “surpass all expectations”.

The primary visitors to Monaco’s hotels and restaurants during this period were the French and Italians, who comprised nearly half of the total clientele, a significant increase on the numbers recorded for 2019 and 2022.

There was also a surge in American tourists, following on from a trend observed since the start of 2023.

Antognelli lay the success of the season at the feet of the atmosphere in the Principality during the festive period, saying, “Monaco comes alive during the holidays and offers an exceptional experience [to visitors]”. He also noted that “extremely positive feedback” had been shared with the Direction du Tourisme et des Congrès de Monaco regarding the decorations in the Place du Casino and elsewhere in the Principality, as well as on attractions such as the Christmas Village.

Predictions for 2024

Looking ahead to 2024, Antognelli said that expectations within the tourism sector are optimistic. He anticipates a strong return of Italian tourists, a resurgence of British visitors “despite economic challenges and Brexit”, and a steady presence of American travellers. Additionally, a significant recovery in business tourism is expected, which Antognelli said he hoped would exceed “pre-pandemic levels”.

However, Antognelli also stated that the focus is not on increasing the number of visitors, but on continuing to provide a quality over quantity experience for tourists in Monaco.

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Photo credit: Monte-Carlo Société des Bains de Mer

Basketball | Victory for AS Monaco in first home game of 2024

by: Niki Borisova

10/01/2024

To the cheers of local fans, the first home game of the year came to a successful close for Monaco’s Roca Team, who secured a decisive win against Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz in a crucial play-off positioning match.

Tuesday 9th January saw AS Monaco Basket return to their home court in the Salle Gaston Médecin for a EuroLeague pitting against Spanish side Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz.

After a sorry start to their European ambitions in 2024, which saw the Monegasque side lose 75-73 to Olympiacos Piraeus in Greece last week, the team rebounded with strength once back on familiar ground in the Principality.

See more: Basketball | Roca Team confirms the temporary suspension of Élie Okobo

Mike James was instrumental for AS Monaco, contributing a robust 26 points and seven assists. His performance was complemented by Donatas Motiejunas, who added 13 points. Monaco’s defence played a pivotal role, committing a mere six turnovers while forcing Baskonia into 19.

The game commenced with both teams closely matched and the first quarter ended with Monaco trailing slightly at 21-22. Howard’s successive three-pointers initially gave Baskonia a lead, but AS Monaco responded vigorously, especially in the second quarter, by forcing turnovers and embarking on a 12-0 run.

The third quarter saw AS Monaco further consolidate their lead with an 11-1 run, ending the quarter with a 71-59 advantage. The final quarter remained tense, with Baskonia narrowing the gap to a mere three points at one point, but the Roca Team managed to maintain their lead and close out the game victoriously.

The next EuroLeague pitting will be an away game against Panathinaikos BC Aktor on Thursday 11th January. The next home game, which sees AS Monaco come up against Real Madrid, will take place on Friday 19th January.

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Photo credit: AS Monaco Basket

Renewables take a back seat to nuclear in France’s new energy bill

by: Stephanie Horsman

10/01/2024

A new energy bill put forward by France’s Ministry of Energy Transition has been criticised for favouring investment in the nation’s nuclear industry while omitting similar targets for renewable sources.

France currently derives about 70% of its electricity from nuclear energy. The country houses 56 reactors and one new station is currently under construction. These nuclear power stations generate enough energy to make France the largest net exporter of electricity in the world, which brings in more than €3 billion each year.

This substantial income is certainly nothing to scoff at, but neither is France’s promise to be carbon neutral by the year 2050, something many argue will only be achieved through the better integration of renewable energy sources into the national energy network.

WHAT DOES THE BILL PROPOSE?

The proposed text highlights “the sustainable choice of using nuclear energy as a competitive and carbon-free” source of electricity. It also affirms the intention to build at least six, but as many as 14, new reactors in the coming years in order to pull off the transition away from fossil fuels and meet climate change goals despite the findings of numerous studies that state France will need to give more weight to renewable sources of energy production if it is to achieve its carbon neutrality ambitions.

Another contentious aspect of the bill is that no such targets for improving France’s renewable energy capacities are included, whereas previous energy laws did. Instead, the bill makes talk of “efforts” rather than specific objectives.

Opposers to the new energy bill say the government is backtracking on its green energy pledges made in recent years in favour of ensuring the “energy sovereignty” of the nation through nuclear means.

The ministry has denied the criticisms, saying, “It is false to say that there is no renewable objective.” However, no additional explanation on what that objective is, in the context of France’s energy plans going forward, has been provided.

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Photo source: Jametlene Reskp, Unsplash

Hit show Mamma Mia! coming to Monaco this autumn

by: Stephanie Horsman

10/01/2024

The ABBA-inspired hit musical Mamma Mia! is coming to the Principality of Monaco later this year for six performances in the original English version and the ticket office has already opened.

When Swedish pop group ABBA came together in 1972, there was no way of knowing that, over 50 years later, their music would be continuing to inspire and entertain generations of fans.

Nine studio albums, two live albums, seven compilation albums, four box sets, five video albums, 50 singles and 43 music videos later, their catalogue of hits has stood the test of time and provided the base for the wildly successful Mamma Mia! musical, which premiered London’s theatre district in 1999 and is now the third longest running musical in West End history.

It has since become a cult staple on Broadway in New York too, as well as on the international touring circuit, delighting more than 65 million people in 16 different languages over the years. Now it is coming to Monaco.

On stage at the Grimaldi Forum

The sweet, comic tale of a free-spirited mother living on Greek island with her daughter, whose world gets turned upside-down when her three possible fathers reunite for her wedding, will hit the stage of the Salle des Princes at the Grimaldi Forum for a series of six performances in English with French subtitles between 9th and 13th October. Among these will be two matinee performances at 3pm on 12th and 13th October.

Tickets for the show are already on sale and will likely be snapped up quickly. Prices range from €45 to €95 in the Carré Or seating zone.

Click here for more information.

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Photo credit: Brinkhoff Moegenburg

France’s winter sales have officially started online and in-store

by: Stephanie Horsman

10/01/2024

A full week after Monaco launched its winter sales, France has followed suit, making now the perfect time to get some great deals on clothing, accessories, housewares and other items on the other side of the border.

France’s Soldes d’Hiver formally began on Wednesday 10th January, giving shoppers a post-Christmas chance to pick up much needed and wanted items at excellent prices. Whatsmore, markdowns and price drops will likely continue throughout the sales period, which will come to an end on Tuesday 6th February.

See more: A guide to the luxury shopping boulevards and avenues of the Riviera

Like in Monaco, the French sales are set by law. Unlike in Monaco, however, French merchants online and in-store have just four weeks to sell their current stock to make way for spring collections. In the Principality, shops have been given just over six weeks.

ORIGINS

The concept of putting products on sale dates back to the early 1800s and is credited to a man by the name of Simon Mannoury. He owned a fabric and clothing shop in Paris, but wasn’t getting the footfall he hoped for. His ingenious idea was to advertise price reductions to the public to shift stock faster. His idea had the desired effect and soon Mannoury’s technique was being employed by shops everywhere.

As time went on, the French government decided to implement a series of measures that would keep competition in check. Updates continued until the most recent changes in 2020, when the sales period was shortened from six weeks to four.

Read related:

A guide to the best shopping malls in and around Monaco

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Photo source: Artem Beliaikin, Unsplash

Line-up for Rallye Automobile Monte-Carlo revealed

by: Cassandra Tanti

10/01/2024

With just two weeks to go before the start of the recce for the 92nd Rallye Automobile Monte-Carlo, the Organising Committee revealed this Monday the Official Entry List of the 70 competitors who will be allowed to take part in the opening round of the 2024 FIA World Rally Championship (WRC).

Against all expectations, the record holder, Sébastien Ogier, is back to defend his title. Nine-times winner of the Rallye Monte-Carlo, the French native will be competing in his home territory at the wheel of the Toyota Yaris Rally1 Hybrid.

The battle for victory will be as indecisive as it is intense, with his team-mate Elfyn Evans of the Toyota Gazoo Racing team as the main opponent at the start, as well as the Hyundai Shell Mobis WRT drivers Ott Tanäk (2019 World Champion) and Thierry Neuville (2020 Winner).

The suspense is also there in the other categories, starting with WRC2. Some of the headliners include Yohan Rossel, Nikolay Gryazin, Oliver Solberg, Nicolas Ciamin, Stéphane Lefebvre and Bryan Bouffier, who won the Monte in 2011 and is making his comeback to the world circuit for the occasion.

In total, there were eight cars in the top category representing the three official manufacturers, 24 in WRC2, three in WRC3 and 35 non-priority competitors, where the Selection Committee had to make crucial choices. “We registered 112 applications, and 93 of them met the criteria set out in our Supplementary Regulations. Unfortunately, we had to reject 23 of them,” said Eric Barrabino, General Commissioner of the Automobile Club de Monaco and Director of the Rallye Monte-Carlo. “As an organiser, having to turn down participants is not something you do easily, but a multitude of criteria have been considered to ensure that, in the end, some 20 regional drivers will be able to take part against an international elite.”

The aim now, says Barrabino, is to find an area of more than 30,000m2 to increase the capacity of the Service Park and organisers the possibility to accept all entries, both professional and amateur.

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Photo of the 2022 Rally de Monte-Carlo in Casino Square, by Monaco Life

Day: 10 January 2024