the essential
The arrival of Villeneuve in the club of the most beautiful villages in France gives a new dimension to the department in terms of tourist attractiveness.
It is obviously at the newcomer's house that the elected officials of the very exclusive club of the most beautiful villages in France in Aveyron met. In this village of Villeneuve d'Aveyron, therefore, which brings to eleven the number of “most beautiful villages” in the department and, in doing so, positions Aveyron ahead of the 70 French departments which have them. “Just in front of the Dordogne, which has ten”specifies Jean-Luc Calmelly who, as president of Adat (Departmental Agency for Attractiveness and Tourism) participated in this “first” meeting of the club of eleven.
Because there is obviously an urgent need to capitalize on this good news for tourism in Aveyron. “ The first emergency was to publish a new leaflet, therefore including Villeneuve, updating the sites and publications of the digital network”, explains Jean-Luc Calmelly. “A new exhibition has also been built, visible at the Millau viaduct area. We found that it was the ideal site to present the eleven most beautiful villages in France in the department.”
“The Dordogne does not want to leave us ahead…”
Likewise, these most beautiful villages wish to highlight quality “living heritage! ” “In Villeneuve for example, look, there is the Maison de la Photo, superb shops, businesses, this should also be highlighted” underlines the vice-president of the Department, who intends for this club to be “advice” for village councilors in Aveyron who would consider taking steps to obtain the label.
It being understood that Jean-Luc Calmelly would welcome one or two villages applying. Because like a Tour de France cyclist who escapes, he looks behind him… “We know that the Dordogne does not want to leave us ahead, smiles the Bozoulais elected official. Afterwards, there are villages which do not wish to engage in it and we also hear it “.
In the meantime, with these eleven most beautiful villages and this position as the department which has the most of them, it is one more asset in the game of attractiveness. “It is difficult to measure the impact of such a label, but it is certain that it brings other villages in its wake “, comments Jean-Luc Calmelly. “We would also like to propose a hiking route to connect each of these villages but it is complicated. Because it is not easy to find enough accommodation between each stage. The department is large.”
During this meeting in Villeneuve-d'Aveyron, the representation of Aveyron within the national association, which will hold its general assembly in Lyons-la-Forêt, in Eure, was also discussed. Where there is no doubt that Aveyron will make a remarkable visit.
A little more than twenty years after the award of the label to the village of Peyre (2003), Aveyron sees this as an additional argument to deploy in its tourism communication campaign. A little over a month ago, these were the cameras of the 1 p.m. France 2 who came to discover the beauties of the medieval village… we bet that they have not finished coming to film the department with the most beautiful villages in France.
