The French tourism agency Atout France is restructuring its offices in Central Europe and changing its communication processes in German-speaking countries.
Since July 1, 2026, the Frankfurt am Main office has served as the central hub for media and public relations in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. As part of this reorganization, the Vienna office has been reduced in staff. Media inquiries from Austria and Switzerland will now primarily be managed and processed from the Frankfurt office.
According to the company, the new consolidation is intended to increase the efficiency of communication measures. Regional Director Frédéric Meyer emphasized that the newly structured team in Frankfurt will continue to collaborate with partners and industry representatives in all three countries. For journalists, however, the centralization means a change in familiar procedures: While individual press trips will continue to be arranged upon request, group press trips will increasingly be designed and conducted as cross-border regional projects.
The restructuring is part of a series of cost-cutting and consolidation measures that state and semi-state tourism organizations in Europe are implementing in response to changing budget constraints and the digitalization of the media landscape. Critics and industry experts point out that downsizing regional offices, such as the one in Vienna, could lead to a loss of local market knowledge and a reduced on-site presence. In particular, direct contact with Austrian and Swiss media representatives could be hampered by the distance to Frankfurt.
Future developments will show whether consolidating resources in Frankfurt brings about the desired organizational simplification, or whether withdrawing from regional operations will negatively impact the visibility of French tourist destinations in Austria and Switzerland. For those affected locally, this move certainly means abandoning independent national media support in favor of a centrally managed regional structure.