"All of this came from going to the US for a year. When I moved there, I met a lot of people who had 'stars in their eyes' about France. It was a special feeling to see the fascination people had with France,"
"Do you wear berets? Striped shirts? Is it true you eat cheese and croissants every day? I even noticed in American bookshops there were all these books about how 'French women do this' and whatnot. I had not realised before going to the US that there was such a big market for France."
"I thought maybe I could talk about France in English. That's how the page started. It was kind of trying to make a bridge between two cultures."
American fascination with French culture dates back to Thomas Jefferson and has grown to roughly five million American visitors annually. Lucille Befort founded French Vibes Club and built an 185,000-strong following by sharing French history, beauty products, desserts, and cultural tips. Befort lived in the US and noticed Americans’ idealized views of France, prompting her to create English-language content to bridge cultures. She recounts Americans asking about berets, striped shirts, and daily cheese and croissant consumption. In 2024, five million American visitors came to France, representing about ten percent of French tourism.
Read at The Local France
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