With a turnover of 16 million Euros for the year 2008, the Palais Acropolis in Nice can afford some renovation work. “We are going to help the building to get a bit of freshness and to have a timeless taste, while complying with the standards,” declared Jean-Michel Wilmotte, the architect in charge of the renovation.
It will thus be reborn from its ashes in “fresh and natural tones.” In the coming years, the Palais Acropolis will see its events and conferences increase in number and size, developments which will be reinforced by this “facelift.”
Businessmen are the main reason for these renovations. According to Christian Estrosi, Deputy-Mayor of Nice: “business tourists generally spend 4 to 5 times more than a normal tourist.”
This renovation, organized by the company GL Events (which has taken over the management of the Palais Acropolis), is established with common objectives developed with the Nice City Hall, including creating an “effective business model” since the Palais Acropolis is part of a network of international sites.
With this renovation, effective partnerships with local business tourism stakeholders (hoteliers, ORT, etc.) should be put in place. The 4 million tourists that Nice welcomes each year could therefore increase, and the capital of the French Riviera could well move from its fifth place among “major cities of France.”
With a budget of 26 million Euros, Christian Estrosi is well on his way to succeeding in his bet to make Nice an international metropolis by 2014.
