It was around a round table, chaired by Rudy Salles (Vice-President of the National Assembly and Deputy Mayor for Tourism and Foreign Affairs of Nice) that local elected officials from Touraine came seeking answers. The Côte d’Azur and Touraine, being among the most touristic regions along with Paris, made the exchange of ideas seem important for the Touraine delegation.
After visiting Angers (Pays de la Loire) and Rochefort (Poitou-Charente), the Deputy Mayor of Tours, Alain Dayan, and his officials unpacked their bags in the capital of the Riviera. With tourism becoming increasingly important, the Tours delegation wanted to compare its concerns and strategies with those of Nice. The conclusion was the same for both sides: “Regardless of the scale, our questions are the same,” summarized Jean-Gérard Paumier, mayor of Saint Avertin (Indre-et-Loire).
A Fruitful Meeting
The first topic discussed was the fate of the structures (tourism offices, etc.). Which would be most suitable? How to pool those already in existence?
The second issue concerned the scale at which to implement these structures. On this point, both parties wondered whether they could become inter-communal. “Nice has the means to promote itself, but not the surrounding areas,” admitted Rudy Salles. Therefore, moving from a municipal to a community level would allow for better tourist promotion for the agglomerations.
“No clear solution” has yet been found, but for the elected officials from Touraine, it was a “fruitful” meeting, “the exchange will help.”
In the near future, Nice and Tours also plan to work on common products, but this time on an international level.
