President Renaud Muselier of Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur (also known as Région Sud) led a French delegation to Utah to increase collaboration across education, film, tourism, and business. Région Sud’s visit was a direct result of the letter of intent that Gov. Cox signed with President Muselier last June in Paris.
The delegation, consisting of leaders in government, education, and tourism development, traveled across the state to collaborate with a variety of groups. Their visit included:
- A meeting with Gov. Cox, as well as a separate meeting with Utah legislators.
- A visit to the Utah Olympic Park and the Utah Olympic Legacy Foundation in Park City to exchange best practices.
- Université Côte d’Azur signed a partnership agreement with the University of Utah to establish a student exchange program.
- Attending the 100 Years of Film in Utah celebration.
- A business roundtable with Utah companies interested in global enterprise.
- Visiting a local Utah high school to observe the dual language immersion program. Région Sud plans to establish partnerships with Utah schools to create opportunities for teacher exchanges.
- Signing a letter of intent with the Utah Office of Tourism to share best practices around sustainable tourism and developing the tourism economy.
Région Sud and Utah share much in common — both are renowned for their natural parks, host world-famous film festivals (Region Sud is home to the Cannes Film Festival), share similar targeted industries in tech, aerospace, and life sciences, and will likely host consecutive Winter Olympics in the next decade (Utah in 2034 and Région Sud in 2030).
France is Utah’s third-largest export destination in the European Union and a strategic partner in key business sectors. Région Sud’s visit was a productive step forward in transnational collaboration and created increased opportunities for Utah businesses, students, and industries.
