Laurent Cormier
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Laurent Cormier, vice president of the Tourism Authority and head of informations for Rhône Alpes region talks to Travel Daily Middle East about plans to tap into the Middle East region and promote skiing as a holiday option….
Could you give us an overview of the Rhône-Alpes?
Situated between Paris and the Côte d’Azur, and bordering Switzerland and Italy, the Rhône-Alpes is at the crossroads of Europe. The destination offer four distinct seasons and different activities to explore as tourists. As per statistics, nearly 50% of the economy is based on skiing from December to late March until the beginning of April. The region has 160 ski resorts and 16 linked ski areas as well as boast the largest ski area in the world. However in spring and autumn, it is business tourism. The Rhône-Alpes region also attracts 15% of France’s thermal clientele, making it the country’s third most important region in 2009, and boasts 16 thermal resorts. In autumn, the region showcases many festivals that revolve on gastronomy and wines. As a visitor to Rhône-Alpes, you can be sure to experience something different for every season.
What is the percentage of Middle East guests visiting the region?
Current statistics show that people from the GCC represent the 12th nationality visiting the region. The Rhône-Alpes is France’s 2nd most populated region but it is also the 2nd largest region after the Midi-Pyrénées. It is similar in size to countries such as the Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland, Denmark or Finland. The region is ranked 2nd in France in terms of visitor nights (French), the Rhône-Alpes represents nine percent of the market, behind Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur (PACA) which represents 10.6%.
In 2012, the Rhône-Alpes region registered almost 152.9 million visitor nights (source BET – François Marchand – ORT), representing a one percent increase compared to 2009 and with 18% of these reckoned to be foreign tourists. Similarly, hotels accommodated 17m visitor nights in 2012, wherein 24% of the stays are by foreign tourists. It is undoubted that the top clientele are the British, Belgians, Germans, Italians and Dutch but in terms of high-spending mature markets, it would be the UAE, Spain, Switzerland, Scandinavia, Canada, USA and Japan, UAE. This is followed by the emerging markets which are the BRIC countries – Brazil, Russia, India and China.
How would you look at promoting the Rhône-Alpes in the Middle East region?
Our strategy is clear in terms of tourism promotion; we have our natural landscape. We have an abundance of nature-based activities such as hiking, mountain biking and all kinds of winter sports. In the southern part of the region, all activities are around water such as canoeing. However, these aspects of the region need to be highlighted to the trade in order for them to understand the destination better. We are optimistic of increased visitors from this region with Emirates new flight to Lyon. The region of Lyon which is the capital of Rhône-Alpes too has a different landscape, scenery and even the culture. The place is very historical. People visiting the region are manly taken up by the landscape; it is mainly sightseeing tours but also very accessible activities made available by nature.
Which key regions in the Middle East do you see tourism potential to tap into for Rhône-Alpes?
From time to time, we organize road shows in the GCC, wherein we bring our partners such as Hotels, ski schools to come and educate agents in their offering for this region. The regions of UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Qatar were some countries wherein we did conduct road shows in the past, as they show potential.
What are your target numbers to be tapped from this region?
The Rhône-Alpes mainly get FIT customers which consist of mainly families or couples. We would be happy with targeting around 2000-3000 people in the period of late spring to beginning of autumn. As the ski market is not very major in these countries. Skiing requires the right equipment and knowledge of the mountains, which needs to be accompanies by the right guides or ski school managers. In the beginning, it is much more complicated for people who do not understand this environment at all. It is also seen that mainly sightseeing visitors also combine Rhône-Alpes with Paris/French Riviera or even Switzerland. This is due to the proximity to Switzerland and Italy.
Would tourism partners in the Rhône-Alpes be able to adapt to the Middle East travellers?
We have restaurants that cater to Arab travelers or even the Asian market. We have six and half million habitants. Lyon is the second largest town in France after Paris. Considering these factors, travel partners are used to working with the global travellers for a long time now.
Would you be looking at promoting skiing holidays in this region?
We are targeting the market with the French Ski schools. These teachers can explain to tour operators how they can take charge of their students. They have staff that speak foreign languages, staff dedicated to beginners, they have installed on the ski areas specific domains dedicated to people who do not ski at all. This is logical as people are of the perception that the skiing in the Alps is complicated. We have special products for beginners which are all-inclusive products, lessons and special ski passes to benefit the beginner clientele.
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