The 'Emily in Paris' effect at VeniVidiParis is not what you'd expect.

"What does a controversial TV character have to do with an Italian travel professional in Paris?" In my case, a lot.

This weekend, a CN Traveller article, From Paris to the C?te d’Azur, Immigrant Women Are Leading France's Creative Scene, reminded me about the nationality impostor syndrome I had felt in the early days of my venture in the world of travel advisory, and I started wondering 'Would an Italian look at France, and the bounties it offers to international travellers, differently from my former co-founder?'

When I first ventured in the world of travel as a profession, in fact, it was as co-founder of Cognoscenti Paris, a now defunct company creating unique behind-the-scenes Parisian experiences, aimed at luxury leisure travellers but also at corporate clients.?

My co-founder, and the mind behind the project, was French. I did feel slightly ill-at-ease with being an Italian selling France in this enterprise but figured that, what I lacked in birthright, I more than made up with enthusiasm for the city I had been calling home for many years.?

In 2019, I went solo and created VeniVidiParis. Born on very similar footing, focussing exclusively on the experiential side of travel, the company has since evolved into a boutique Destination Management Organisation, taking care of all the services needed by travel agents looking for create memorable French itineraries for their wealthy clients.?

Italy shares not only a border with France, but many similarities in traditions: be it a passion for beauty, an obsession for food, a pride in its cultural heritage or a reverence for craftsmanship. In this, I realised I wasn't any different from the incredible women mentioned in the CN Traveller article, even if they hail from countries much farther away.

So, if it was not a matter of being Italian, what was that made me sure, deep down, that VeniVidiParis was inherently different from the first iteration I had embarked on at Cognoscenti Paris?

The answer came as a revelation, a Eureka moment dressed to the nines in outlandish outfits that no Parisienne would dare to be seen wearing: the (in)famous 'Emily in Paris'. Because Emily, as much as we love to hate her, has one quality that is priceless in my eyes: she marvels at the world, and at the City of Light, every day.

So, what do I have in common with her? Not the clothes, for sure. But, ever since I moved back to Paris in 2011, long before Netflix, I intentionally held on to my 'tourist' mindset, trying something new every week: from a museum I did not know to a recently opened restaurant. No attachment to one single culture, to make the most of what such a large cosmopolitan city offers. No family history and traditions shaping my view of my adoptive country. This kept me from becoming complacent about my life in France.

And ever since VeniVidiParis was born, the ethos has been the same: no clichés, no preconceptions, only authenticity and a genuine desire to discover what France truly is, and not what we imagine it to be.

So, when you ask us to plan an itinerary for your clients, don't be surprised to see a Lebanese restaurant or a boutique selling African wax textiles included in our recommendations, besides a croissant baking class or a champagne tasting.

Because I'm an Italian Parisienne ;-)