For the first time ever, London and Paris are joining forces to show how easy it is to discover both as one amazing destination using the Eurostar which takes travellers between the city centres in just two hours 15 minutes.
The multimedia marketing campaign, launched this week will be targeted at American first-time millennial visitors and will run for five months.
From 177 Michelin restaurants to 641 parks and gardens, 506 theatres to 325 museums, and 3500+ hotels, the unique partnership will showcase the abundance of attractions and hidden gems across the both cities, and will urge travellers to visit now, not later as they will take a whole lifetime to explore.
The mayor of London’s promotional agency, London & Partners, has worked closely with lead partners Paris Tourist Office and Eurostar, to ensure travel between the cities is easy and affordable for visitors.
Other partners supporting the campaign include United Airlines, Marriott and Mastercard.
A new website has been launched which includes information about both cities, a competition and itineraries spanning different themes including, adventure, culture, hidden gems, icons, food and drink.
The USA is both London and Paris’ top overseas market with considerable growth over the past couple of years.
London welcomed 2.62 million US visitors in 2017, 12.7 per cent up on the previous year and Paris enjoyed a 19 per cent increase in US hotel arrivals, exceeding the two million arrivals mark for the first time since 2000.
Laura Citron, chief executive of London & Partners, said: “We know that once people experience London and Paris, they fall in love and want to visit again and again to discover more.
“These are destinations that have inspired some of the most prolific minds in the world, from Shakespeare to Monet, and that passion and vitality can be felt by all that make the journey.”
With fewer than one in ten millennial Americans having visited both London and Paris, and over seven out of ten expressing a desire to visit both destinations as part of one vacation, the campaign aims to encourage a younger age group to make the trip overseas to discover all both cities have to offer.
Pierre Schapira, chairman of the Paris Convention & Visitors Bureau, said: “Both cities embody European lifestyle and a mix of freethinking and liberty.
“With a great number of events taking place every day in each city, from contemporary art exhibitions in Le Marais or in Hoxton to open air festivals and DJ sets at the Rex Club and the Egg, Paris and London have a lot to offer right now!
“Our two capitals are renowned for their heritage and culture, but they have far more to share, especially for millennials.
“They offer endless options whether you like fashion, food or adventure.”