The first "tourist trail" tracing the life and times of François Hollande, the French president, has been cancelled because nobody turned up.

Peter Allen in Paris
3:28PM BST 02 Aug 2012

Local council bosses in the Socialist president's political fiefdom of Tulle, in the south west Correze department of France, had hoped to cash in on his growing fame as an international statesman.

They organised an "In the Footsteps of a President" tour costing between €22 and €35 (£17 and £27), hoping that visitors to the picturesque town would sign up in droves.

But on Wednesday, the planned first day of the tour, "not a single person signed up for the walking trail", which was due to include an "authentic" lunch in one of President Hollande's favourite office canteens.

"The tour was originally organised to show off another side of our rich heritage," said Anne Bestault, director of tourism in Tulle.

Mr Hollande, a dedicated Socialist Party official, spent some 30 years building up his career in local politics in Tulle, including spending seven years as mayor.

He was renowned for his regular appearances at council meetings, and for wining and dining fellow apparatchiks as they discussed policies day and night.

Mrs Bestault said tourists had shown interest in learning about "where he worked, eat, drank, and where he slept".

The tour was to start at the Prefecture office of Correze, and then would wind its way around â significant locations' including the market place where Mr Hollande learnt he had become France's 24th President in May.

He was famously kissed by his live-in girlfriend, Valerie Trierweiler, who clutched a bunch of flowers as accordion players performed a version of â La Vie en Rose.

No less than three "favourite" canteens were on the tour, including one called Le Central, where Mr Hollande had lunch on election day on 6 May 2012.

Mr Hollande himself chose the title of the tour, clearly believing that people would flock from all over the world to trace his political heritage.

Yet, despite his success in defeating the conservative Nicolas Sarkozy, it appears that Mr Hollande's bland "Mr Normal" image has stuck.

Unlike historical Gallic figures like Charles de Gaulle and Francois Mitterrand, Mr Hollande is widely viewed as a plodding careerist.

He was infamously drenched by heavy showers on the day of his inauguration in Paris, and has become known as "Rain man" because it seems to pour down wherever he goes.

I don't think it's yet an image which would yet sell heritage tours," said French tourism analyst Richard Martinez. "Mr Hollande is an affable politician, but tourists would rather learn about more interesting figures."

Despite Wednesday's setback, Tulle tourist chiefs said they are going to "try again' next Wednesday". "There's been a few phone calls showing interest," said a hopeful Tulle spokesman.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/francois-hollande/9447046/No-one-turns-up-to-Franois-Hollande-walking-tour.html