Like many economic sectors, tourism has not been spared from the coronavirus epidemic. C’Chartres Tourisme, the local public company (SPL) of Chartres Métropole, has not been welcoming visitors since mid-March. What to do a financial blow to the office, as explained by its director, Philippe Rossat:
“We risk losing around 40% of our turnover, that is to say 300,000 to 400,000 €. We try to manage as a good father. We had made two beautiful years previously, which allows us to hold the shock. There are very efficient commercial services. We closed the reception on rue de la Poissonnerie. But many people on the team work. The tourism sector in general is in a dire situation. But we are rather privileged because we invest a lot in the local. “
“Be a true all operator to discover our riches”
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Another consequence of the coronavirus epidemic, international tourists are likely to be very discreet in the coming months, explains Philippe Rossat: “We count on zero foreign tourists during the season. The extra-European borders are almost closed. Our first foreign clientele is Japanese. Today, they have instructions from their country not to come to France. We may have Europeans, but very few. “
The Chartres Métropole tourist office changes gear to develop
A complicated situation but on which C’Chartres Tourisme intends to rely to propose new offers in the coming weeks. Isabelle Mesnard, president of SPL C’Chartres Tourisme, explains: “What is important is to set up a new dynamic. Concretely, we are working to bet on local tourism. This involves the inhabitants of Chartres, of the agglomeration, but also of the whole region and the Paris basin. We want to reach these people, because sometimes, some locals do not always know the full richness of their heritage. Philippe Rossat adds: “This also concerns Ile-de-France residents looking for nature and activities. 65% of the visitors who come to Chartres Métropole come from France and mainly from Ile-de-France. It has the advantage of being the first exotic destination an hour from Paris. This is a factor in bouncing back. “
“These are micro-adventures, the idea is to provide unusual experiences for customers who want to have fun in their own territory”
Isabelle Ménard (empty)
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For this more local clientele, the structure wants to focus on short stays, as Isabelle Ménard points out: “We will build complete tourist products for short and medium stays. These are micro-adventures, the idea is to provide unusual experiences for customers who want to have fun in their own territory. Hence the desire to go on local tourism. We have therefore set up a think tank with our partners, whether they are hosts or restaurateurs to set up this new tourism offer. Take the time, respecting heritage and nature. With everything we have here, we can offer specific products with short stays intended for local and regional customers. “
Nature, heritage, gastronomy…
Different tracks are envisaged to highlight the assets of the territory: “We are extremely lucky to have a territory where the countryside is very close to the city, like the Perche. It is therefore possible to bet on the natural aspect, with Véloscenie for example. We have a very interesting heritage with several castles, the presence of Eure which is an asset, even if we do not yet have all the answers to questions posed by the epidemic of coronavirus, like that of the practice of canoeing. Whatever happens, we are working on all of this for the beginning of June and be ready this summer. We also intend to promote gastronomy and local products, with picnic baskets linked to producers, restaurateurs and hosts ready to play the game. Routes can be set up, over two to days for example. “
First assessment of attendance at the Chartres tourist office: the figures to remember
One of the keys to implementing this project is through ticketing, according to Isabelle Ménard: “The idea is to go through the ticket office of the tourist office to market our offers. For the moment, only groups of ten maximum will be authorized. Going through the office ticket office will allow you to accurately quantify the number of people and track customers. Our partners will not have to worry about this aspect. This allows us to be a real operator for discovering our riches. “
Activity. The reception of the Maison du Saumon, headquarters of the Chartres Métropole Tourist Office, is closed to the public from then mid-March 2020. The site could reopen in early July. “We may be thinking about rethinking the place differently,” says Isabelle Ménard, president of the SPL. The office is continuing its other activities, however, as the director, Philippe Rossat explains: “We will further develop the group activity, which will restart in the fall. Because today, it is obviously complicated with schoolchildren and the elderly. The congress activity has room for improvement, as more and more Chartraine and Parisian companies want to return to Chartres. The ticketing and individual reception activity will also be muscular. “
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Simon Dechet and François Feuilleux
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