Croatia's popularity among French tourists and media was helped by two high-rated TV shows aired a number of times this summer on TV5 and France 3, the director od the Croatian National Tourist Board's Paris office, Marina Tomas Billet, has said. These shows focused on Croatia's islands, customs, people, and sea. Special features about the southern Adriatic resort of Dubrovnik were aired several times on state television TF1 and France 2.
Numerous positive pieces on Croatia and its tourism appeared in the French daily press in late August and early September.
La Tribute said on August 23 that "Croatia is conquering, Spain is giving up", Le Figaro Magazine called Croatia on August 28 the "new Riviera", La Croix claimed on September 4 that the "French are delighted with Croatia," while Courier Picard described the southern coastal region of Dalmatia on September 9 "the new Cote d'Azur which should be discovered now".
The French National Institute for Tourism describes Croatia as "made-up for tourism", a country which, only two hours from Paris by air offers "the charm of one of the most beautiful Mediterranean coasts coupled with a rich natural and cultural heritage".