With the final closing of the doors of the last physical office of the Paris tourist office on Sunday January 12, the organization is reviewing its strategy by turning to digital and developing a network of local partners.
The physical reception is over. Since Sunday January 12, the last office of the Paris tourist office has permanently closed its doors. It was temporarily installed on Quai Jacques Chirac, at the foot of the Eiffel Tower during the Olympic Games.
Despite 37 million visitors per year in the capital and the status of Paris as the world's leading tourist destination, the office struggled to attract tourists. “In terms of attendance at this type of place, at least in a city like Paris, our figures have dropped considerably since pre-Covid and post-Covid,” explains Corinne Menegaux, general director of the office of Paris tourism at BFM Paris Île-de-France.
A network of information points
However, there is no question of abandoning visitors. The tourist office has chosen to turn to a new strategy, in particular by developing “a network of physical partners to deploy even more information points throughout the territory”, specifies the general director
From 2024, a network of information points has been developed with post offices, tourism players such as hotels and even kiosks. “We have already tested a certain number of things with the newspaper kiosks located throughout the country during the Olympic and Paralympic Games,” explains Corinne Menegaux.
During this event, 32 “Paris je t’aime” kiosks were present. The general director emphasizes that the objective is to go even further. “We gave ourselves two years to be able to deploy around fifty points which should make it possible to sufficiently cover the territory throughout Greater Paris.”
A new app
Digital is also becoming the other central axis of the office's transformation strategy.
“This is the second part of the transformation that we have already been carrying out for several years and which we will accelerate this year with more efficient digital tools,” says Corinne Menegaux.
In addition to the website, which continues to attract many visitors, a web app called “myparisjetaime” has already been developed. It should become a mobile application before April.
“It was tested during the Games. It is a geolocated application, designed around tourism. It allows you to know everything that is around you, how to get there, to obtain all the practical information, but also which allows you to take your tickets directly and with an intelligent itinerary”, explains the general director.
A tourist concierge service
The office also wishes to integrate a human dimension with the development of a tourist concierge service.
“We are going to be one of the first destinations to test it, to be able to make personalized recommendations to visitors who wish it in advance, with a reactivation of our telephone lines to be able to contact us,” assures Corinne Menegaux. Accessible seven days a week, this service is now operational by telephone, email and instant messaging.
All these changes aim to offer “more flexibility, immediate responses to visitors' needs”, “and a human presence where it really counts”, specifies the office in a press release.
