Gastronomy tourism is booming

Ann Chaon | AFP -

Openness and curiosity gourmet food boom in tourism, which brings together the leading brands and regions to organize exhibitions of their skills.

In 2012, 12 million people visited the company, including food (including wine and spirits) as well as before, attracts more than half.

Visit Association of Companies (AVE), which takes account of the French agriculture alone who visits more than 100 most of 4.4 million people to win. Better than boats, even better than the perfumers, the first Grasse, open their workshops there in the fifties.

"We are witnesses of the public who know how it works. Wants by mistrust and curiosity and companies, it is not easy, as a means of communication," said the delegate AVE, Pierre Cecile, who also emphasized that to gain professional direct sales for the Visitors.

In 2011, when it became known that the company is open to visitors, numbered 5,000, of which 3,000 in regular intervals throughout the year. Based on this finding has created the industry and the region has a website, company and discoveries in detail, and gives the opening and the speed of a visit (from 1.50 to 3.50 € on average).

- After dinner in the store -

"It is better to register in advance," says Hubert Dambrine appetite of tourists for its Ateliers Saint-Michel, Cons (Loir-et-Cher). This is a brand for its burgers in the "soft" cake and cupcakes known, received about 10,000 visitors per year.

The plant, when a certain route to follow (without fear of contamination) cake, the environmental problems easily, quality control and packaging bags. "And it all ends to try the product they produce a saw."

All benef "A judge who does not forget the passing out of the store." This is a direct connection between the consumers the ability to communicate with our raw materials, our processes and our environmental policy. "A thousand words or an advertising campaign.

Pastel, goat cheese or mushroom Saint-André, in the region of an additional argument. Or how to take advantage of the chateaux of the Loire take (Chambord 1 million entries) or the Beauval Zoo (1.2 million) to get a list: "In 2011, before the Saint-Michel seminars, culinary tourism were 200,000 visitors ten locations, "says Pierre-Berneau MERLET, Food Network host Val-de-Loire.

- Small and medium businesses are open -

These groups have been trained in Burgundy, Brittany, Languedoc-Roussillon and Midi-Pyrénées, to promote local experience. Dijon mustard to the caves of Roquefort in Aveyron or sardines on the beach.

Of course it is easy to be transparent, plant or gingerbread calisson other sectors: According to Pierre Cecile "We can not show everything, it is necessary that you can be difficult, trying to get sausages visit some of the rooms.". "In this case it is advisable to restrict, or yourself. Specific investment"

Also, confidential know-how and marketing "farmer" sometimes the image of the products sold and to leave the "natural" high-tech channels.

He said that SMEs are more likely to be open and vulnerable. "Half of our company has more than 50 years, a great story to tell for generations to come. Thick, people are slowly but culturally more prepared," he said. "If they decide that they have thousands of visitors," but bet. "When they are finished, it will explode."

Ania, including: National Association of Agriculture is your partner from the beginning. And in the fall, for the first time in 61 plants Inter, which belongs to the group opened the hyper and supermarkets, seafood, prepared meals, frozen bakery products, teaches clients swear nothing to hide.