Viking will introduce a four new Viking Seine River Ships in 2020, offering a smaller guest capacity experience on its eight-day Paris & The Heart of Normandy itinerary on the Seine River. Expanding its current France river cruise fleet will be purpose-built, 168-passenger ships – Viking Kari, Viking Radgrid, Viking Skaga and Viking Fjorgyn.

Luxury hotel collection Airelles has announced it will begin welcoming guests to its third property in France, Mademoiselle Val d’Isère from 19 December, 2019. The 41-key new-build will join its sister properties, Les Airelles in Courchevel and La Bastide in Gordes in seeking a Palace accreditation.

Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas will add the French village of Saint-Laurent-Nouan to its destination portfolio in 2022 when it begins operation of Six Senses Loire Valley.

Hotel Château in the French village of Le Grand-Lucé has opened, raising the bar in luxury, bringing sophistication and a cosmopolitan je ne sais quoi to the Loire Valley.  The former country home of the Baron Jacques Pineau de Viennay, the Château has been returned to its 18th-century splendour after a careful private restoration under the guidance of the French government.

Mandarin Oriental, Paris is preparing to reveal a new 430 square-metre 4-bedroom signature suite, dubbed “The Parisian Apartment”. The new suite will be one of the largest in Paris, and will open for reservation from summer 2019.

Together with Craig Adamson of The Leading Hotels of the World, Ritz Paris welcomed Sydney media to a private villa in Darling Point for a sit-down lunch with harbour views. The hotel’s GM, Christian Boyens and director of communications and PR, Mélanie Hubert, also joined with the director of Air France’s first-class product, La Première, Pierre de Saint-Albin; and Air France country sales manager, Australia and New Zealand, Quentin Voss.

France is expecting a surge in visitors in 2023 when the nation hosts the Rugby World Cup and huge numbers of Aussies will no doubt be amongst them. Get informed, inspired and ready for when international borders reopen. The countdown is on!

Cooking classes with a top chef, a trip to Rungis market, or a tour around France through its cheeses… Discover the secrets of French cuisine, declared World Intangible Heritage by UNESCO.

The Leading Hotels of the World Roadshow is coming to town, and to mark the occasion, three of the association’s European members – The Dolder Grand of Zurich, Badrutt’s Palace of St Moritz and La Réserve Paris – made time to sit down with Signature Media’s CEO & Group Editor, Cathy Wagstaff, and their Australian PR representative, Nicole Lenoir-Jourdan of Five Star PR.

Indulging in fantastic roads, phenomenal cars and fine dining from Beaujolais to Burgundy, Champagne and Paris on a gourmet adventure to remember.