Tourism site translation gaffes

TOURISTS worldwide are being invited to come to France to enjoy the “scents of iodine” in Nantes, according to the new website for the France Tourism Development Agency.

Perhaps the translator did not realise that whereas l’iode means healthy sea air, “iodine” evokes disinfectant but there many other examples of clunky phrasing in the English-language version of www.rendezvousenfrance.com.

The site also, for example, invites “amateurs of heritage to a time and space travel on the occasion of the European Heritage Days”.

It was launched as part of a tourism rebrand with events in New York and Shanghai. Tourism minister Frédéric Lefebvre told New York’s Budget Travel: “People often talk about France as an arrogant nation. We would like to make a strong effort to improve the sense of welcoming.”

Connexion suggested to the agency that the bloopers might not help. New technologies director Aurélian Sallié said the site was a trial version and was due for an imminent overhaul with help from London and New York offices.

He added: “There is no excuse for problems like this on an official site like ours. We regret some of this is very badly-written, which necessitates an overall effort on behalf to improve translations.”