Beautiful spring in Aquitaine ! Several offices have chosen the time of daisies to release new versions of their websites. I suggest you to discover three destinations that have a makeover .
Bordeaux, the leader!
The first one is Bordeaux, where the team of Nicolas Martin launched at the same time the new version of the website http://fr.bordeaux-tourisme.com/ and a City Pass . Directed by Interactive Agency , the site is more dynamic : lots of pictures with people in it, many services with the possibility of booking (visits, CityPass ). The Bordeaux « live like a local » is also highlighted, with a heading « Regards Bordelais« .
If I had a feature to highlight, it would be the « Aux alentours de Bordeaux » (Around Bordeaux) page where the tourist office plays the role of interregional tourism locomotive. It contains the attractions of the Region Aquitaine (Arcachon , Sarlat, Biarrtiz , etc.) but also Poitou- Charentes (Ile de Ré, La Rochelle) because the tourist is not aware of the potential fusion of French regions ! It’s as simple idea, but in the institutional tourism, this idea is fairly new !
Saint-Emilion, the practical
The Tourist Office of Saint- Emilion has published last week its new website : http://www.saint-emilion-tourisme.com . Based on the singular vineyard which welcomes a million annual visitors, Saint-Émilion must be informative, practical, and at the same time seductive. Bertrand Millot, the director and his team have privileged different readings of destination which answers visitors recurring questions. Moreover, the architecture of the website has been built based on the questions most frequently asked at the desk. So »Les Incontournables »(the inevitables) or « les infos pratiques » (practical infos) are well situated on the website.
A good practice that answers to the eternal question of tourist offices : how to value our work with our customers and partners ? The « 12 bonnes raisons de venir nous voir » (12 good reasons to contact us) section is a great idea. 12 square blocks that display an argument. When the mouse cursor goes on a square, the argument is developed by a sentence. For example, under « availability » a sentence appears : » The Tourist Office is opened every day, 364 days a year (closed on Christmas day) «
Let’s talk about the business part, we can notice the possibility to book tours online, to shop online and also to buy a new feature: « Saint- Emilion box » , called « pass escapade« .
Saint Jean Pied de Port, the seduction
The new website is available here : http://www.saintjeanpieddeport-paysbasque-tourisme.com/
Great photos of the home page with the conventional system of slide show will attract visitors around six main themes : « discover, sleep , visit , practice , enjoy , get out ». I found the menu » taste » quite interesting. Everything which is related to local cuisine was grouped in this menu. All restaurants, local products ( wine, cheese, farm visits , and recipes). That alone will be enough to motivate your stay!
