After Bordeaux Tourisme & Congrès, which will receive ISO 20121 certification in 2021, have other event venues in the destination followed your example?
Amélie Déchénais - That's right. All our conference venues are either already certified or have been awarded the label, or are committed to doing so. In 2022, Beam (Editor's note: Bordeaux Events & More, formerly known as Congrès et Expositions de Bordeaux) received ISO 20121 certificationand the Palais de la Bourse, another major events venueis now part of this process. As far as accommodation is concerned, some forty establishments have positioned themselves to obtain the Green Key label in 2023, in addition to the fifteen or so that have already received it. To support this development, the Tourist Office has also set up a Sustainable Development department to guide our partners - hoteliers, agencies, restaurateurs and caterers - in their responsible transition.
Does this general mobilisation explain Bordeaux's fifth place in the Global Destination Sustainability Index (GDS-Index)?
Amélie Déchénais - The GDS Index doesn't just take into account what we do at the tourist office. A quarter of the score is linked to the certifications, labels and CSR initiatives of the city's tourism industry. What's more, other criteria go beyond this, such as air quality. This demonstrates our commitment to the destination as a whole. We are very proud to be in the top 5 of this rankingBordeaux is one of the world's top destinations, alongside Copenhagen and Göteborg. Bordeaux is rubbing shoulders with pioneering destinations. And they're helping us to grow by setting an example, which is also the aim of this ranking.
Have you already felt the impact of your eco-responsible involvement with event organisers?
Amélie Déchénais - Before the crisis, we were proactive in promoting our commitment. Organisers didn't always spontaneously ask for it. However, when we put forward what we wanted to achieve, we noticed an interest that could guide them to choose the destination. Today, this subject is on the agenda in the specifications of half of all customers. Organisers are becoming more aware of the issue. Over the last two years, companies have introduced CSR charters and made responsible commitments when organising events. This is creating a virtuous circle.
How are you helping them to limit the carbon footprint of their business events?
Amélie Déchénais - When we start setting up a project, our aim is tohelp organisers reduce the impact of their event by directing them towards smart, local solutions. For example, having identified committed partners and local solutions for reducing their impact, such as sorting waste or collecting surplus food, is an important factor in the decision. To reach a milestone in 2023, our ambition is to create a pool of associations and local initiatives to be able to offer means of social and solidarity-based compensation.
Bordeaux is the top French destination in the GDS Index. Is this proof that you are setting an example?
Amélie Déchénais - Bordeaux may not be exemplary today, but it is aiming to be. It's a commitment by everyone, every day, from the venues involved in their eco-responsible transition to the institutions supporting local partners and service providers. In this context, we are finalising a practical guide which will be coming out in the next few weeks and will summarise the ten key steps for staging a responsible event. The guide will provide a wealth of advice and ideas for organisers of all kinds of events. But these keys, which apply to our region as they provide local contacts, can be reproduced in all destinations. The aim is to provide a practical tool for everyone. Finally, we also have another innovative project in 2023, in partnership with theADEME : certification courses organising eco-responsible events for events agencies.
Why the need for training dedicated to the events sector?
Amélie Déchénais - Our starting point was the observation that more and more associations and companies were including the eco-responsibility of their events in their specifications, but that at the same time there was a lack of awareness of the importance of sustainable development. very few training courses applied to the events business in these specialist areas. That's why we asked ADEME to create a certified programme with two or three days of face-to-face training in Bordeaux for local agencies. But this training will also be open to everyone, in the form of e-learning, with several remote sessions lasting just an hour each. Everything will be freely accessible. Once again, our aim is not to keep things to ourselves, but to promote everything that can help the events industry move forward in this direction.
Aside from sustainable development, what are the main issues facing the city in 2023?
Amélie Déchénais - Several hotels have opened recently, including the FirstName in the Meriadeck district, the Sheraton near Mérignac airportand a lifestyle hotel in the city centre, the Jost. Bordeaux will soon see the arrival of a hotel Mondrian or the move to the Hotel Indigo of the Mercure Cité Mondiale. In spring, the Hotel Burdigala will also be reopening its doors after a renovation phase to upgrade to a five-star hotel, with a reduced number of rooms and expanded living spaces that are attractive to customers from Bordeaux. Last but not least, the arrival of the tram at Bordeaux Mérignac airport next spring is set to shake things up, especially as it is part of an intermodal strategy involving other soft mobility solutions such as self-service scooters, bicycles and electric vehicles.
As far as the airport is concerned, Bordeaux Mérignac has not yet returned to its pre-pandemic traffic levels. Is this bad for the destination?
Amélie Déchénais - These are still the residue of the crisisBut things are starting to improve. However, the airport's ambition is not to exceed pre-pandemic levels, because we had a large number of passengers in relation to the size of the structure and the destination. Its growth will be reasoned. While the roadmap to 2027 presented by the airport is based on a gradual return to 2019 levels in terms of the number of destinations served and passengers, its main aim is to offer passengers a better welcome and more services. Mérignac is a somewhat ageing airport, with a level of service that is out of step with that of its destination. A great deal of investment will therefore be made, with a €240 million plan, including €140 million dedicated to infrastructure, both for renovations, in particular to limit energy consumption, and for the creation of a new building at the intersection of the two terminals to offer more services to passengers.
