Pro area The structure

Objectives :

• to improve services for visitors and tourism service providers, while relying on local residents to help the destination emerge ;
• create a collective desire for “Livradois-Forez, Regional Nature Park in Auvergne” as a destination;
• to increase the number of visitors purchasing a stay.

Internal organization

• 27 permanent staff (24 salaried employees; 2 agents provided by local authorities; a dozen seasonal workers).
• 23.4 full-time equivalents
• 11 different workplaces.
• A budget of around 1.2 million euros

Some of the actions undertaken by the Maison du tourisme

• Provision of services to tourism service providers as part of a partner package: promotion of their activities on the website and in brochures; distribution of their documents in tourist information offices; training; development of online sales tools; ticketing service; information on accommodation availability, etc.
• Welcoming visitors at tourist information offices and, increasingly, “outside the walls” (e.g., hospitality events at accommodation facilities with more than 100 beds, etc.).
• Organization of heritage-related events.
• Management of a destination website www.auvergne-livradois-forez.com
• Editions of promotional and information documents, including the Destination Magazine
• Communication of the destination via digital tools
• Participation in communication operations
• Creation of product catalogs
• Customer canvassing (direct or via intermediaries)

The Maison du tourisme in figures:

• 300,000 unique visitors to the www.auvergne-livradois-forez.com website
• 33,000 visitors/year advised at tourist information offices
• 3,500 tickets sold for concerts, festivals, shows, museums and sporting activities
• 2,500 km of trails maintained in collaboration with RELF and local authorities
• More than 300 partner tour operators
• More than 100 groups/year welcomed to the region, generating between €100,000 and €150,000 in revenue.
• More than 100 tourism service providers supported in developing online sales of their activities
• 8 tourist information offices (Ambert, Arlanc, Billom, Courpière, Olliergues, Saint-Anthème, Saint-Germain-L’Herm, Thiers and a seasonal one in Saint-Rémy-sur-Durolle).

The association is made up of ex-officio and active members:

• ex officio members: the communities of communes and the Park’s syndicat mixte (Chairman, Vice-Chairman, etc.)
• Active members: representatives of the socio-professional players essential to the organization of tourism in the region.

The MDT is managed jointly by socio-professionals and local elected representatives. Service providers can become members:

• By subscribing to a partner pack (which includes membership). Approximately 315 service providers in 2018.
• By simply becoming a member to take part in the life of the association.
  List of elected representatives