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Guylhem Feraud, chairman of FNHPA (national camping and caravanning federation) and Bernard Sauvaire, chairman of FRHPA (regional camping and caravanning federation) and CRIT (regional chamber of tourist industries) welcomed Léon Bertrand, secretary of state for tourism, at Sett 2003. The minister had chosen La Grande Motte and SETT as the venue for his first public meeting with members of the camping and caravanning industry.
"France is the world's leading tourist destination, with 76.7 million tourists. The major initiatives undertaken by members of the camping and caravanning industry has meant that, in 2002, the sector was France's leading method of tourist accommodation. We need to continue our efforts to promote France amongst our European neighbours and internationally so that this method of accommodation achieves even further growth by responding as closely as possible to customer needs, which are changing considerably…We also need to work together to ensure that we continually adapt to regulations so that we can offer everyone who visits France a range of facilities, accommodation, services and guarantees of impeccable quality, all with an eye on environmental protection and regional needs...".
Visibly, Léon Bertrand showed that he was in agreement with the profession with regard to improvements in quality and openness. |
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The Tourist Minister's words were largely echoed at regional level by chairman Jacques Blanc who, every year, gives up a great deal of his time to come to SETT to meet members of the tourist industry.
The chairman of Languedoc-Roussillon Regional Council also cleverly made the link between the regional and national levels by stating that Arlette Franco, Mayor of Canet en Roussillon, had been given a government assignment concerning employment in the tourist industry. The announced interministerial committed dedicated exclusively to tourism, the first since 1983, confirmed the positive intentions of the various powers involved.
"Tourism goes across the board and we need to launch a proper strategy for the development of tourism in France", stated Léon Bertrand.
His words were warmly approved by Jacques Blanc and Bernard Sauvaire, as it is with this same spirit of openness towards the various facets of tourism that the SETT event takes place every year.
Léon Bertrand and Jacques Blanc were also in agreement on the question of working on ways to give more stability to seasonal employment by giving employees more continuity of employment despite seasonal changes in their work.
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Above and beyond the climate of optimism, 2003's speeches and meetings were also marked by the recent memory of the floods in the Gard.
In front of regional and national representatives, Bernard Sauvaire spoke of the difficulties experienced by colleagues who had suffered damage. He congratulated all those who had shown their immediate support after the disaster and attracted everyone's attention to the need to implement effective measures to help with reconstruction and offer assistance. The chairman of FNHPA, Guylhem Feraud, also talked of the campsites involved in the floods, congratulating the owners involved for their calm attitude in the face of the disaster, which helped to save lives and to demonstrate that the best form of protection was still that of human vigilance. |
