Perched on a cliff above the Mediterranean, the
Principality of Monaco has been a centre of upmarket
tourism and top-level events renowned for their
lavishness and extravagance ever since the founding
of Monte Carlo in 1866. The opening of the city s
first congress centre a century later and the more
recent construction of the high-tech Grimaldi Forum
are highly visible signs of the emergence of a new
and important economic sector in the field of
meetings and conventions. These developments helped
to encourage the extension and improvement of
infrastructure and tourist services and opened new
perspectives. The aim of this essay is to consider
all the aspects that contributed to this re-
orientation. The role of key players in this
industry will also be examined. This book provides
general information on Monaco as a tourist
destination but also reveals how the Principality
was able to position itself favourably among other
hot spots on the French Rivera by shifting its image
from a destination for upper-class tourism to a high-
class centre for business.
Principality of Monaco has been a centre of upmarket
tourism and top-level events renowned for their
lavishness and extravagance ever since the founding
of Monte Carlo in 1866. The opening of the city s
first congress centre a century later and the more
recent construction of the high-tech Grimaldi Forum
are highly visible signs of the emergence of a new
and important economic sector in the field of
meetings and conventions. These developments helped
to encourage the extension and improvement of
infrastructure and tourist services and opened new
perspectives. The aim of this essay is to consider
all the aspects that contributed to this re-
orientation. The role of key players in this
industry will also be examined. This book provides
general information on Monaco as a tourist
destination but also reveals how the Principality
was able to position itself favourably among other
hot spots on the French Rivera by shifting its image
from a destination for upper-class tourism to a high-
class centre for business.