The Miss France aspirants on a mission to promote the Ivory Coast destination, “land of hospitality”

The Corsair plane had barely landed on the tarmac of Abidjan airport on Sunday, November 17, when the 30 candidates for the Miss France 2025 election and the delegation accompanying them in Côte d' Ivoire were informed of the interest that the local authorities have in their visit. For the beauty pageant's first trip to sub-Saharan Africa, they pulled out all the stops so that “each candidate leaves with the desire to come back and become an ambassador of our country”supports the Minister of Tourism, Siandou Fofana, leader of this marketing operation.

Message received by Frédéric Gilbert, the president of the Miss France Society, who, during the press conference organized Monday in the opulent Hotel Ivoire, base camp of the delegation of 80 members, did not fail to praise “the natural settings and vibrant atmospheres » of the country. The XXL welcome is conditioned on a clear promotional objective: to make this eight-day trip a showcase of tourism for the French. “The energy of Ivory Coast is unique and it will be reflected in each sequence that we share with French and international audiences”promises Frédéric Gilbert.

Before millions of viewers can discover the local landscapes in the summary video of the stay which will be screened on December 14 during the election, the targets of this campaign can already get an idea thanks to publications on social networks of the Miss France committee, the candidates and the Ministry of Tourism. Exclusivity with some French media requires, the contents are brief and smooth but still provide information on the nature of the activities carried out.

Loincloths, chocolate and banana foutou

To check the “tradition” box, the choice was made on the Cocody craft market, in Abidjan. A modernized and relocated site in a shopping center, supposed to provide tourists with more or less inexpensive “authentic” souvenirs.

In the same spirit, some regional misses tried their hand at making loincloth, making chocolate or preparing foutou banana, an emblematic dish of Ivorian gastronomy. The lucky ones were able to discover the superb Baie des Sirènes in Grand-Béréby, a seaside resort located on the west coast. A getaway all the more privileged as the local population and ordinary tourists do not have access to this site, the bay being privatized by the hotel of the same name.

Finally, all the candidates were entitled to a gala organized in their honor, allowing them to feed their social networks with the formula “Côte d’Ivoire, land of hospitality”. The Ivorian Ministry of Tourism can only rejoice in the informal role of ambassadors taken on by the Miss France aspirants, which seeks to increase partnerships of this kind in order to increase visits.