The roles and responsibilities of your tourist information centre

The tourist information office: its role and responsibilities

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Find out all about the Destination Pornic Inter-municipal Tourist Office: its status, role, objectives, key target groups and network of stakeholders (visitors, tourism and leisure professionals, local retailers, elected representatives from local authorities in the area, and departments of Pornic Agglo Pays de Retz, etc.).

Presentation

What is a tourist information centre?

It is, first and foremost, a public service with mandatory ‘sovereign’ responsibilities: welcoming visitors, providing information and promoting the area.
According to the Tourism Code (Article L.133-3), “the tourist office is responsible for welcoming and providing information to tourists, as well as promoting tourism in the municipality or group of municipalities, in coordination with the Departmental and Regional Tourism Committees. It helps to coordinate the activities of the various partners involved in local tourism development”.

What is the status of the Destination Pornic Inter-municipal Tourist Office?

It is a Public Industrial and Commercial Establishment (EPIC) comprising a main office located in Pornic and six other tourist offices (also known as Tourist Information Offices or BITs), spread along the coast from north to south: Saint-Michel-Chef-Chef, La Plaine-sur-Mer, Préfailles, La Bernerie-en-Retz, Les Moutiers-en-Retz, Villeneuve-en-Retz.

The Destination Pornic Intercommunal Tourist Office covers 15 municipalities within the Pornic Agglo Pays de Retz area (Chaumes-en-Retz, Chauvé, La Bernerie-en-Retz, La Plaine-sur-Mer, Les Moutiers-en-Retz, Pornic, Préfailles, Saint-Michel-Chef-Chef, Cheix-en-Retz, Port-Saint-Père, Rouans, Sainte-Pazanne, Saint-Hilaire de Chaléons, Villeneuve-en-Rez and Vue).

It is governed by a Management Committee comprising around fifty members, including one chair and one vice-chair:

1 group of elected representatives (mayors, deputy mayors or councillors), which holds a majority of seats
1 group of business and professional representatives (tourist accommodation providers, restaurateurs, leisure site managers, local artisans and producers, etc.).

Each body has its own full members and their alternates.
The Executive Committee meets several times a year and presents its actions and ambitions, its commitments, its financial report, etc., in accordance with the region’s tourism strategy and in line with its internal resources (budgetary, technical, human, etc.).

Regular meetings organised with tourism professionals throughout the year also help to determine the priorities of local tourism policy (professional forums, thematic committees, working groups, etc.).

Our commitment to visitors

Inform, advise, welcome, promote!

For many years now, tourist information offices have been taking into account the needs of local residents and changes in visitor demand, and have adapted their communication strategies to the habits of a highly connected tourism market!

That is why the experts at our tourist offices are committed to providing you with accurate, up-to-date information to meet your needs, offering the most personalised advice possible! This is the very essence of the tourist offices’ ‘informed advice’ approach and our commitment to the Qualité Tourisme™ brand.

In summary, our team comprises:

destination experts who are well-informed about the identity and attractions of their region,
welcoming advisors,
helpful staff who provide services,
professionals recognised for their daily commitment to working alongside other local stakeholders to offer you a high-quality tourist experience,
staff who work all year round to:
updating data,
managing the destination website and social media,
supporting a network of partners,
developing and planning tourism and leisure activities alongside local councils and their elected representatives,
monitoring tourism trends (quantitative and qualitative) within the region,
with an internal structure designed to meet our quality commitments and provide a level of service commensurate with our Category I Tourist Office classification.

The role of destination experts

A Tourist Information Centre is the ideal place to start if you want to make the most of your home town, your holiday destination or your business trip!

It’s a one-stop shop where you’ll find destination experts and travel advisers who can help you...

guide you in exploring the area’s tourist attractions and leisure activities
help you find accommodation, restaurants, leisure activities, cultural events and more…

offer a variety of tickets: a guided tour, an evening show or concert, a boat trip or a visit to a wildlife park.

Our gift shops will allow you to take home souvenirs, local specialities and much more… so you won’t forget your holiday and will be keen to return!

As you can see, a tourist office is made up of a dedicated team that works all year round! Preparations for the tourist season begin at the end of summer and continue until the following spring

Our experts are dedicated to:

Identifying visitors’ needs as accurately as possible,
Guiding customers according to their expectations by helping them explore the region,
Encouraging them to make a purchase or booking.

Their in-depth knowledge of the region and its service providers enables them to advise, inform and assist visitors. This service is provided at the reception desks of our seven tourist offices, as well as in advance by telephone (and during your stay!), by post or online.

The Tourist Offices of France are here to help you discover the region’s treasures and offer you the very best it has to offer!

Our role in supporting local partners

Coordinating, uniting, developing, promoting…

Tourist offices aim to showcase their local area.

In collaboration with local tourism stakeholders (service providers, elected representatives, partners, etc.), the Pornic Inter-municipal Tourist Office helps to promote the area by:

Producing brochures for its partners’ offerings,
Improving the visibility of the destination and its offerings online,
Making its photo library available,
Maintaining a presence on social media,
Selling holiday packages and tickets online,
Disseminating news in local media and hosting French, European and even international journalists,
Participating in themed tourism fairs (summer jobs, departmental document fairs, business tourism, the Agricultural Show, etc.),
Training seasonal staff from partner organisations to familiarise them with the region,
Deploying our electric van – our 8th tourist office – at local events and at interested partners’ premises,
Contributing to the development of local tourism projects to promote the destination: cycle routes, hampers of local produce, sightseeing tours, a project to set up a catering training course...
...and many other projects!

The tourist office supports business owners with projects and provides them with information on the procedures involved in applying for classification and certification.