Seaside resorts: rewards for sunshine made in France

There's no need to travel to the other side of the world to organise an incentive or seminar by the sea. The French coastline, lulled by the waves of the North Sea and the English Channel, by the Atlantic and the Mediterranean, offers a wide range of activities. an incredible variety of landscapes The region's many facets: breathtaking cliffs, rocky coasts, immense beaches of fine sand or pebbles, discreet coves, wild lagoons, gigantic dunes, all accompanied by islands, some just a stone's throw from the coast...

Enjoying almost year-round sunshine, the Mediterranean coast attracts business tourism, and each of its resorts has its own particular strengths. In the Camargue, for example, the village of Les Saintes-Marie-de-la-Mer appeals for its traditional and atypical character, while in Mandelieu-La-Napoule, activities alternate between sea and land. As Pierre-Louis Roucaries, general manager of the town's tourist and convention office, explains: "Mandelieu-La-Napoule is a great place to visit, with its many attractions and its many attractions.Open all year round, the resort is ideally situated at the foot of the Esterel massif, part of which has been classified as a Natura 2000 area. With its jagged relief, ochre-coloured rocks and steep coves plunging into the Mediterranean, it is a fantastic source of outdoor incentives."

Marie-Christine Couette, Associate Director of Made in Côte d'Azur, is an ardent fan of the resort: "It has large hotels, beaches, green spaces and a harbour perfect for events and regattas to the Lérins Islands."Among the team-building activities on offer are discovery raids in zodiacs, sailing regattas, kayaking, stand-up paddling and, most original of all, floating box, an activity that involves making a cardboard pirogue that can sail on the water!

On land, groups can discover Provence in a variety of vehicles, including electric bikes, Volkswagen Combis, 2CVs, Harley Davidsons and legendary cars such as Jaguar E-Types, Porsche Cabriolets and Lotuses... gourmet breaks These include cocktail receptions with an exceptional view of the Isles of Gold off the coast of Hyères, rosé wine tastings, Provençal aperitifs over a game of pétanque or giant barbecues at the Château de La Napoule, overlooking the Bay of Cannes.

In Cannes, companies can stay at the Grand Hôtel. Located in the centre of the famous CroisetteIt has a private beach with gazebos - Balinese beds - a cocktail bar and a pontoon lined with king-size beds for timeless siestas. It also has a wooded park giving access to a large terrace extending from the bar and gourmet restaurant. Groups can enjoy excursions to the Lérins Islands, yoga sessions in the gardens, or an introduction to perfume creation in partnership with Fragonard.

The French coastline, lulled by the waves of the North Sea and the English Channel, the Atlantic and the Mediterranean, offers an incredible variety of landscapes.

Just a short drive away, the Grand Hôtel du Cap-Ferrat, part of the Four Seasons group, plays host to several business tourism groups a year, most of them American. "Our establishment is easily privatised and offers 73 rooms and suites with swimming pool, as well as a private villa."says Aurélien Guery, Director of Groups & Events. Its location is exceptional, at the tip of a cape and close to Nice and Italy. Visit the beauty of the setting is also the difference: seven hectares of greenery, panoramic sea views, a 33-metre heated seawater swimming pool, a gourmet restaurant and a luxurious spa. On site, groups can enjoy cookery classes with Michelin-starred chef Yoric Tièche and introductory courses in oenology, as well as fashion and jewellery shows".Exceptionally, they can also visit the Ott winery, which is normally closed to the public, and, depending on the season, take part in the grape harvest or have a picnic in the vineyard with dishes created by our chef".continues Aurélien Guery.

Among the most frequent requests are excursions to emblematic cities such as Nice for its market, Monaco for its shopping and Cannes for its Croisette, while some don't hesitate to extend their stay with a trip to Corsica. With its exceptional diversity of sea and mountain landscapes, the island of Beauty Club Med Sant'ambroggio offers an ideal setting for reward operations, particularly between Calvi and Ile Rousse, where it organises à la carte programmes with discovery of the maquis, picnics on the beach, cocktail parties around the pool...

Land-sea programmes

Despite this, Cynthia Aime Sfilio, associate director of Esterel Aventures, believes that the Var resorts are better suited to waterfront holidays. "From Bandol onwards, the coast boasts long beaches ideal for team building. What's more, it's easy to put together attractive land-sea programmes such as buggy rallies through the vineyards, with a stopover at the Le Castellet circuit, pirogue outings in discreet little cirques or swimming breaks in the calanques."The agency is offering small VIP groups a chance to discover the region. Gulf of Saint-Tropez in a Mini Moke, the buggy made famous by Brigitte Bardot, with stops at the legendary Pampelonne beach, the Place des Lices in Saint-Tropez for a pétanque aperitif, the village of Ramatuelle and, exclusively, the private family wine estate of Cap Taillat. "It's a magical placeshe says. The vineyards overlook the sea, with a wild beach below, bordered by a shady pine forest for an out-of-this-world picnic."

However, the region's must-sees are undoubtedly the Golden Isles, with Porquerolles at the top of the list, confirms Émilie Pluche, business manager at the Sport Liberté Évènements agency: "They are a great change of scenery and account for the majority of our requests."Adrian Lelièvre, manager of the Grand Hôtel des Sablettes-Plage in La Seyne-sur-Mer: "excursions by catamaran or motorboat to these islands are part of the classic group programmes."His establishment, a historic monument from the XIXth century, was built in^e The fully renovated, 19th-century building is located directly on the Sablettes beach, with uninterrupted views of the Mediterranean. "We have our own private beach accessible directly from the roomshe describes. We also have a spa, an outdoor and indoor swimming pool, and four meeting rooms with sea views that can accommodate dinners for up to 200 guests."

The must-sees on the Côte d'Azur are the Golden Isles, led by Porquerolles. On the other side of the Gulf of Lion, the Occitanie region also lends itself to some very fine incentives.

Across the Gulf of Lion, Occitania also lends itself to some very fine incentives. In Sète, EventsMed, a specialist in nature sports, concocts challenges that transcend holidays, such as Languedoc jousting tournaments on the canal, challenges in Polynesian pirogues, regattas in the Ultime Class - the Formula 1 of the seas - and giant stand-up paddle competitions in teams of five to nine people. "For VIP groups of 12 or more, we can organise a caving expedition supervised by a professional, followed in the evening by a gourmet candlelit dinner in one of the caves."says Martine Gros, the agency's manager.

As for La Grande-Motte, it relies on its originality to attract businesses. Situated between the Camargue and the Languedoc, this futuristic resort, which has been awarded the "Patrimoine du XXe siècle" label, has become for many people the most important tourist destination in France. a source of creative and ecological inspiration. In fact, 70 % of its surface area is made up of green spaces, with a bonus of seven kilometres of white sandy beaches. Motorboat raids, treasure hunts, regattas, catamaran outings...".Anything is possible: we can take 350 people on board several boats and disembark them on a totally unspoilt beach, have a dinner in a restaurant with its feet in the water, or give a group of fifty or so participants a unique and moving experience by involving them in protecting the environment."says Jérôme Arnaud, station manager.

In particular, this may involve incentives carried out in collaboration with the Centre d'études et de safeguarding Mediterranean sea turtles. "Participants watch the carers at work and can take part in the release of healed turtles."he continues. There is no charge for this service, as it is part of an eco-responsible approach that goes well beyond the financial aspect. In the same spirit, small groups can learn about beekeeping and biodiversity. There is a honey house in the basement of the Palais des Congrès, and beehives on the Ponant peninsula.

For companies wishing to organise sportier, more iodised operationsThe resorts along the Atlantic coast, the Channel and the North Sea are ideal. With Bordeaux in vogue, the nearby seaside towns are great incentive destinations to complement a stay in the vineyards, such as Arcachon and Cap Ferret, but also Biscarosse or Lacanau with its Vitalparc hotel-spa, ideal for resourcing and detoxing. Easily accessible by plane or train, the Basque resorts of Saint-Jean-de-Luz, Hendaye and Biarritz are also very popular. The city of Biarritz is particularly well placed to host large, and even very large, events. In August, for example, Biarritz will be the venue for the G7 summit, which will welcome over 3,000 delegates from all over the world and almost 5,000 journalists, as well as heads of state and government.

More generally, the Basque Country, wedged between the ocean and the PyreneesThe region is ideal for outdoor sports and has a large number of unusual venues for holding events. "Businesses can take a 4X4 or 2CV ride inland and be surprised at the turn of a pass by the pottoks, the small Basque horses that live in semi-liberty. They can also play golf overlooking the ocean or try their hand at board sports, surfing in particular, or attend a Basque pelota tournament and end the day with a tapas evening at a trinquet in Bayonne or in San Sebastian, Spain."says Karen Mondragon, Sales Manager at Sud Émotion.

Another major incentive destination in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region: La Rochelle. Just two and a half hours from Paris, it regularly hosts incentive events thanks to its 4,500-room hotel capacity. These include a seminar at the top of a lighthouse, a team-building event on the Ile de Ré, and more. wild beaches, salt marshes, picturesque harbours and vineyards or zodiac rallies.

The wilder coastlines of Brittany and Normandy are also perfectly suited to incentives. In Brittany, for example, the corsair town of Saint-Malo organises nautical challenges, water sports and other activities. outings in old sailing shipsThere are also rum-tasting workshops and treasure hunts at Mont-Saint-Michel. In Perros-Guirec, groups can enjoy cruises to the unspoilt Sept-Îles archipelago, scuba diving at Trebeurden or a private tour of Ile Saint-Riom, protected by the Conservatoire national du littoral.

Cathie-Anne Deshayes, Sales Director of the Recevoir en Normandie agency, is full of praise for Normandy resorts. "You can go sand yachting all along the coast, follow in the footsteps of Marcel Proust in Cabourg or the Impressionists in Honfleur. You can also relive the D-Day landings in Ouistreham, take a helicopter flight over the cliffs of Etretat, visit the Dior museum in Grandville, have lunch at the Nausicaa centre in Boulogne sur Mer, and even take a sulky ride on the beach at Deauville..."A Deauville that is one of Parisian incentive hotspots. The Lucien Barrière group contributes to its reputation with its three establishments, the Royal Deauville, the Normandy and the Hôtel du Golf, which can accommodate up to 1,200 people and organise fashion shows, themed stays on American cinema and, of course, casino evenings.

Another flagship destination in the Hauts de France region: Le Touquet. With numerous four- and five-star hotels, the resort is very convenient for groups. "Everything is within walking distance and it's the ideal place for sand yacht races, kite flying competitions and beach Olympics."says Mathilde Desfontaines, founder of Exploressens. But for those looking for a complete change of scenery, nothing beats Saint-Valéry-sur-Somme. Both a seaside resort and a medieval townThe town charms visitors with its flower-filled lanes lined with pretty, colourful villas. It's a mecca for wildlife enthusiasts, with seals at the Pointe du Hourdel and birds in the Parc du Marquenterre. Small groups cross the bay on foot and discover its biodiversity, either during the day to the rhythm of Boulonnais horses' hooves or in the evening, on foot, when the park is closed and nature awakens. A feeling of being at the end of the world... just two hours from Paris!