Cotentin innovates and adapts its offering to attract visitors
Wednesday June 9, David MARGUERITTE, President of the Cotentin agglomeration and CEO of the Cotentin Tourist Office presented the new tourist attractiveness tools which will be deployed during the summer period alongside Manuela MAHIER, Mayor of La Hague and VP in charge of the Sea, Boating and the Outreach of Cotentin, Odile THOMINET, VP in charge of the Valorization of Heritage and Tourist and Leisure Facilities and the Deputy Mayor of Urville-Nacqueville, Thérèse LESEIGNEUR-COURVAL .
The Cotentin destination still has a great card to play in 2021! Nature, the great outdoors, water activities and even hiking trails with incomparable landscapes are all assets supported by the “Unique by Nature” destination brand. A message that finds its full meaning at the opening of a summer season where the French will favor France as a destination by moving away from large cities.
Due to a health situation that remains uncertain over the months, tourists have changed their consumption habits and are opting for:
- A last minute reservation and an online purchase;
- Short local stays (local tourism);
- The need to have assurance of compliance with health measures;
- A reconnection with nature with outdoor activities and access to large spaces;
- Gentle itinerant tourism (on foot and by bike);
- Authenticity and eco-responsible consumption.
« We have one of the most beautiful territories in the world and we can be proud of it. From our extensive beaches to the Douaniers trail or our bocage landscapes, Cotentin has a strong and unique identity. The sea, the coast and water sports are essential issues for the influence and economic development of our territory. In the context we currently know, we must promote these assets“, underlines the President of the agglomeration and CEO of the Tourist Office, David MARGUERITTE. “We saw it during the summer of 2020, the Cotentin attracted many tourists. We must therefore amplify the work carried out in recent years to offer new experiences to visitors with services adapted to changes in consumption.".
Online offers to attract individual customers
Cotentin is fortunate to have a particularly well-represented and quality sector of tourism professionals. It is up to the Tourist Office to highlight and support it.
To respond to the new behaviors of individual consumers and the online preparation of stays, the Tourist Office has put in place a strategy, in conjunction with tourism professionals, to promote the Cotentin destination.
This action plan will be based on a digital communication campaign distributed on social networks and through newsletters.
Photos and videos showing the #ExperiencesInCotentin will help generate traffic on the encotentin.fr site and stimulate bookings to discover our destination.
As a reminder, the Tourist Office already offers the Tickets online to facilitate reservations for guided tours, hikes, nature outings, etc., offered in the Tourist Information Offices.
A digital innovation to be closer to vacationers
The all-digital era implies a change in vacationers' expectations. They must be able to benefit from practical and quickly accessible information wherever they are.
The “Hello Nestor” application
The Tourist Office has therefore developed the “Bonjour Nestor” application. This will allow the resident as well as the staying tourist to know in real time from their smartphone, the entire tourist offer available with its temporality, its location and in line with the user's profile.
Concretely, a tourist located in Saint-Vaast-la-Hougue on a Thursday at 11:45 a.m. will be offered a priority offer of restaurants open closest to their location with the possibility of filtering more finely according to their tastes. Later in the day, activities or visits will be offered with the possibility of being guided to the precise address.
Webcams at strategic tourist locations
7 webcams, including 6 belonging to the Tourist Office, are currently deployed in the region.
They mesh the coastline, from the west coast (la Hague and les Pieux) to the coast of Val-de-Saire. They are all located at strategic points and offer major tourist interest: Sciotot beach, the Siouville-Hague Surf School, Vauville beach, the port of Goury, the Urville-Nacqueville Nautical Base, the Port Chantereyne and most recently Anse du Brick with the installation of a latest generation webcam at the La Maison Rouge restaurant.
Other major sites will be invested soon.
Tourist information: a new approach and places suitable for summer visitors
To find out about tourist activities, Tourist Information Offices are no longer necessarily favored by vacationers.
Faced with this observation, the Tourist Office is renewing from July 5 to August 27 the system deployed last summer with receptions " Outside the walls ". It's about meeting tourists where they are and where they are most numerous: markets, local festivals, busy tourist spots, biscuit shops, etc. Last year, nearly 300 people were informed.
At the same time, the Tourist Office is continuing the modernization phase of its Tourist Information Offices around the concept in the colors of “Cotentin Unique by Nature”.
7 permanent Tourist Information Offices are located in: Carteret, Port-Bail-sur-Mer, Goury-Cap de la Hague, Cherbourg-en-Cotentin, Barfleur, Saint-Vaast-la-Hougue and Valognes.
Seasonal Tourist Information Offices are also deployed throughout the rest of the territory:
- From June 1 to September 30 Bricquebec, Friday to Tuesday from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and from 14 p.m. to 18 p.m., Quettehou, Friday to Tuesday from 9:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. and from 14 p.m. to 18 p.m., Saint-Sauveur-le-Vicomte: Wednesday to Sunday from 13 p.m. to 19 p.m. in June and September and 7 days a week in July and August from 7 p.m. to 13 p.m.,
- From June 15 to September 15 Sciotot, 7 days a week from 7 a.m. to 11:12 p.m. and from 30 p.m. to 14 p.m., only on weekends in September
- From July 1 to August 31 Quineville, Wednesday to Sunday from 11 a.m. to 13 p.m. and from 14 p.m. to 18:30 p.m.,
- From July 10 to August 22 Barneville beach with the kiosk 7 days a week.
- Innovative partnerships in terms of tourist information have also been set up in Saint-Sauveur-le-Vicomte with a presence in the Barbey museum in Aurevilly and in Barneville-Plage with a collaboration with the Côtes active beach activities.
Boating: a major asset of the summer season
With 17 nautical bases, kilometers of beaches and six marinas, the sea is one of the main tourist assets of Cotentin. The Urban Community has chosen to make it the second major sector of its tourism development strategy.
The highlight of the summer season will be the arrival of the Rolex Fastnet Race in Cherbourg from August 7 to 15. Almost a century old, this legendary regatta is one of the largest nautical events in the world with nearly 400 vessels bringing together the international stars of the discipline and the most seasoned amateurs.
Other nautical events will also punctuate the summer:
- From July 7 to 10: the Sailing Tour between Saint-Vaast-la-Hougue and Dielette;
- From July 10 to 16: 3 stages of Channel Ports Tour : Barneville-Carteret – Dielette – Cherbourg en Cotentin – St Vaast la Hougue;
- From August 18 to 21: European Sea Kayak Championship (Ocean Racing) in Cherbourg-en-Cotentin.
Furthermore, throughout the summer, the water sports centers will be mobilized to allow you to discover all possible practices and whatever your level: surfing, kayaking, rowing, kiting, sailing, etc. The Skim School Tour in collaboration with Mauna Kea will also offer free skimboard initiation days on July 13 in Réville; July 28 in Quinéville and August 2 in Denneville from 10 a.m. to 18 p.m.
The Cotentin: land of hiking
Hiking is one of the most sought-after tourist practices by tourists. Whether it's a walk of a few km, a sporty trail or an independent hike lasting several days, the Cotentin is a fantastic playground.
In its tourism development strategy, the Cotentin conurbation has chosen to make it a major development sector.
In total, 640 km of routes are maintained and developed by the Cotentin conurbation.
The goal : allow continuity of routes and ease of access for hikers.
In order to guarantee this continuity of path, two footbridges were built along the GR®223 and the Coastal Path:
- in the town of Rozel, a footbridge was installed in September 2020 over the Le But watercourse;
- in the commune of La Hague, in the delegated commune of Urville-Nacqueville, the footbridge was placed in March 2021 above the Le Caudar watercourse.
These facilities offer a secure quality of hiking to hikers, and thus improve the experience of this practice in the Cotentin.
To find all the routes identified by the Tourist Office, the collection of Cotentin topoguides continues to expand with the recent delivery of that of the trails from Cap de Barfleur to the D-Day beaches. This new edition completes the 5 others already existing.
Everyone can download the route sheets for these topoguides for free: www.encotentin.fr/aventure/randonnees/circuits
Likewise, with the Cirkwi application, all of the routes are available on your smartphone.
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