Lhe scene will have made more than one smile: Misses busy on a mortar to prepare foutou, a ball of cassava and crushed banana very popular with Ivorians. Feel the local mood, soak up the village; behind these images expertly studied by the production teams also lies the strategy of a Côte d'Ivoire which wishes to assert itself as a land of tourism.
For the 95e edition, the Miss France competition is coming to sub-Saharan Africa for the first time. It is within the framework of the traditional “preparation trip” that the country was selected to welcome the 30 contenders and their large delegation, including several special correspondents from French editorial offices such as The Parisian or Paris Match. On the photography side, the famous Sipa agency was notably responsible for immortalizing shots alternating between images of Epinal tinged with tradition and coconut palm beaches.
Offering a complete picture of Côte d'Ivoire
On December 14, several million French viewers will discover an immersive film lasting eight to ten minutes, the result of a long week of wanderings in the land of elephants. If TF1's flagship show may seem somewhat outdated, the competition nevertheless continues to galvanize the crowds. The tickets for the live show – which will take place at Futuroscope in Poitiers – were all sold out within a few hours. Far from the holiday camp spirit, the stay took place briskly to offer a broad picture devoted to the Ivory Coast.
“Everything is always very supervised by the Miss France committee,” comments an observer. In this smoothly managed ride, no room is left to chance, so that each sequence is the result of a choice shared by the committee, the production and the Ivorian authorities. The Misses thus put to the test, sometimes beading with sweat under the combined effect of the heat and humidity, traveled a good part of the country to show varied settings.
The details of their program, which has only filtered out in dribs and drabs, suggest that they will appear on the screen sometimes in rural areas in loincloth outfits typical of the Akan people, sometimes on the beach of the luxurious hotel The Bay of Sirens, a little further from Ivorian reality. We don't skimp with the Misses.
More political, their end of stay was marked by their meeting with the first lady, Dominique Ouattara, keen to inform the future happy elected official of the action of Children of Africa, the foundation that she chairs and which provides assistance to children in complex social situations in West Africa.
In the wake of the African Cup of Nations
“Côte d'Ivoire aspires to be a gateway to the continent and a first-class tourist hub,” calmly supports Siandou Fofana, Ivorian Minister of Tourism and Leisure. The ambition is not new for the man who has headed his ministry for seven years now and from whom we understand, through the discussion, that the Miss's trip is a long-term matter. “The timing is very good,” he explains further, referring to the newly renovated tourism infrastructure before the African Cup of Nations (CAN). It must be said that in 2024, Côte d'Ivoire will have been, from January, in the spotlight with the Pan-African football competition before concluding the month of December with this other internationally televised spotlight.
The bet was born from a simple observation, summarized in these words by the minister: “The leading market generating tourist traffic towards the Ivory Coast is France. » The prime time of the Miss France election therefore intends to sound like an invitation directly addressed to new visitors, whether they are tempted by tourism or business.
Criticisms about financing
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Kangaroo of the day
Answer
On site, Internet users have already gone to great lengths to comment on the arrival of the contenders, leveling some criticism in the process regarding the question of financing. Because the host country naturally invites at its own expense, estimated by Côte d'Ivoire at 700 million CFA francs, or a little more than 1 million euros for a 9-day trip.
“It is our partners and sponsors who have borne the heaviest burden,” argues Siandou Fofana, ensuring that the authorities have not paid out more than 300 million CFA francs (around 455,000 euros). During the traditional dances reserved for the welcome on the tarmac, no one will have missed the new Corsair A330neo which discreetly slipped into the souvenir photos. The company took charge of transporting the delegation to the continent. Winning bet for the Miss France committee and the government of Ivory Coast? To be continued on December 14.
