MUMBAI: Indians are travelling abroad like never before, and Patrick Branco Ruivo, managing director of the Eiffel Tower Operating Company (SETE, in French), is determined to grab a fair slice of this pie. “Indian visitors represent 4% of our total visitors right now,” said Ruivo, over tea at the Sofitel hotel in Mumbai, where he’s due to speak at the Global Fintech Festival this week. “My goal is to double that to 8% by 2026.
” Under Ruivo, SETE has taken many steps to make the Eiffel Tower a more appealing destination for Indian tourists. Earlier this year, it became the first merchant in Europe to accept payments through UPI, allowing Indians to pay for tickets, food and merchandise in rupees. At the Global Fintech event, Ruivo will announce a new campaign that will allow Indians to book tickets for the Eiffel Tower (using UPI) directly when applying for a French visa.
They’ve also introduced vegetarian meals at the two restaurants at the Tower, with an eye to catering to Indian food habits. “It’s very important to me that we personalise the experience for our visitors,” he said. “The way we welcome an Indian visitor shouldn’t be the same way we welcome a Brazilian visitor or an American visitor.
I want to see how we can build economic and cultural bridges between our two cultures – France and India.” It’s obvious that the former diplomat—he worked at the French embassy in Bangladesh for three years—sees his job as bigger than just the day-to.