What weight does a convention centre have in the eyes of the electorate when compared with promises to extend the Promenade du Paillon, the green corridor that runs through the city? Nice ? At least, that's the choice made by Christian Estrosi, Mayor of Nice and President of the Metropolis, who has launched work to demolish the Acropolis Convention and Exhibition Centre. And this, without waiting for the new one to emerge from the groundThe project has been planned for several years in place of the Marché d'Intérêt National (MIN) Fleurs, near Nice Côte d'Azur airport and its multimodal interchange. All the more reason for concern among Nice's business tourism professionals, led by hoteliers.
Will they be reassured by the announcement, made last week by the mayor of Nice, of theopening of a convention centre in 2025 at the Oceans Summit organised by the UN, France and Costa Rica? Because - big surprise - this 10 000 m² housing exhibition space and a 1,500-seat auditorium, will not be built on the plain of the Var, but on the Amiral Infernet car park in the Port Lympia, Nice's Old Port to the east of the city. A far cry from all the hotels that have sprung up or have just been renovated at great expense in the Grand Arenas business district, such as the Radisson and Crowne Plaza, Okko HotelHoliday Inn Express, B&B Hôtel, Sheraton and soon Moxy.
Grand Arenas hotels take a beating
" CI just don't get itsaid a hotel manager on condition of anonymity. The absence of a convention centre for several years was already a disaster, but now it's the last straw. The city brought us here to compete with Barcelona, promising us a convention centre with a 2,400-seat amphitheatre, and we end up with a facility at the other end of Nice and an auditorium for 1,500 people! ". The promise of maintaining an exhibition centre in a rehabilitated MIN Fleurs, to speed up the work, is seen as a stopgap measure. " Exhibitors will be favouring budget hotels and few visitors will be staying in our hotels. "he adds.
" This new location has been a blow to our morale "says another hotelier in the area. And he consoles himself by imagining a domino effect. " Conventions in the port will primarily benefit hotels in the city centre, which could bring in more leisure guests when they are fully booked. ". Mama Shelter, scheduled to open in 2024 a 100-room hotel near the Vieux Port, on the other hand, should be delighted with its future location. Just like the La Perouse hotel on the Quai Rauba Capeu, which is due to undergo renovation in the near future.
Other events during the transition period
The Metropolitan Council remains calm, pointing out that the west of Nice has no shortage of large-scale sites capable of hosting congresses, such as the Allianz Riviera stadium and the Palais Nikaia Zenith. " The temporary absence of a convention centre is a major an opportunity to rethink the Congress business in Nicesays Lauriano Azinheirinha, the new Managing Director of the Nice Côte d'Azur Metropolitan Tourist Office. In March, the hotel industry posted an average occupancy rate of 61%, even though Acropolis is already closed. The site hosted 23 major congresses, generating €63m in spin-offs. Our aim is to match this figure with other types of event. ". He goes on to mention the Rugby World Cup and Ironman World Championships in 2023, the arrival of the Tour de France in 2024, the return of the Hopman Cup in tennis...
