The Corsair plane had barely landed on the runway at Abidjan airport on Sunday, November 17, when the 30 candidates for the Miss France 2025 elections and the delegation that accompanied them in Côte d’Ivoire were informed of the interest that local authorities have on your visit. For the beauty pageant’s first trip to sub-Saharan Africa, they did everything they could to make “Each candidate leaves with the desire to return and become an ambassador for our country.”supports the Minister of Tourism, Siandou Fofana, responsible for this marketing operation.
Message received by Frédéric Gilbert, president of the Miss France Society, who, during the press conference organized on Monday at the opulent Hotel Ivoire, base camp of the 80-member delegation, did not stop praising “natural environments and vibrant atmospheres » of the country. The XXL welcome is conditioned by a clear promotional objective: to make this eight-day trip a tourism showcase for the French. “The energy of the Ivory Coast is unique and will be reflected in every sequence 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 that will be shown on December 14 during the elections, the recipients of this campaign can already get an idea thanks to the publications on social networks of the Miss committee France, the candidates and the Ministry of Tourism. Exclusivity with some French media requires that the content be brief and fluid, but that it provide information on the nature of the activities carried out.
Loincloth, chocolate and banana foutou
To tick the “tradition” box, the choice was made at the Cocody craft market in Abidjan. A modernized and relocated site in a shopping center, intended to offer tourists more or less inexpensive “authentic” souvenirs.
In the same spirit, some regional ladies tried their hand at making loincloths, making chocolate or preparing banana foutou, an emblematic dish of Ivorian gastronomy. The lucky ones were able to discover the magnificent 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 place, since the bay is privatized by the hotel of the same name.
Finally, all the candidates had the right to a gala organized in their honor, which allowed them to feed their social networks with the formula “Ivory Coast, land of hospitality.” The Ministry of Tourism of Côte d’Ivoire cannot but welcome the informal role of ambassadors assumed by the Miss France candidates, which aims to strengthen this type of collaboration to increase visits.
