Six figures in tourism in the Languedoc-Roussillon Region were awarded medals for honourable service in tourism at the reception given for the 25th anniversary of the Congress on 5 February.
This national distinction is awarded twice a year by the secretariat for Tourism and honours players in the various components of the sector.

- Gold Medal

• Francis Attrazic
Francis Attrazic, 51, is from Lozère and runs a hotel in Aumont-Aubrac. He has distinguished himself in particular through his work for associations. After being President of the Syndicat de la Lozère and then of the FRIH Languedoc-Roussillon, he is currently president of the FNRF and the Association des Restaurateurs de France.
Very involved in the promotion of rural tourism, he also chairs a working group that succeeded in signing a draft agreement with FNSEA – APCA and Gîtes de France.
Finally, he presides the "Reconnaissance du professionnalisme" (Recognition of Professionalism) working group.

- Silver Medal

• Elisabeth Fruitet
Representing the Pyrénées Orientales department, she is marketing manager of Action 12, a Spanish company that imports French-made light leisure buildings. With André Trigano's Les Etapes chain and the Gitotel chain, she has helped sales by putting tourism professionals (tour operators, company staff committees, etc.) in contact with camping site owners.

• Gilles Panné
A Burgundian who has lived in Languedoc-Roussillon for 13 years. The medal is a reward for his work as director of the Tourist Office in Sète. He has worked on recreating the office for two years, modernising the reception policy, re-launching the promotion of Sète on tourist markets and drawing up a tourist development scheme for the town.

• Patrice Bertrand
Patrice Bertrand promotes tourism in the Pyrénées-Orientales and especially in Saint-Cyprien, where he is director of the Tourist Office.
The staff has increased from 10 to 20 under his management and Patrice Bertrand has worked to obtain the Kid Station label for Saint-Cyprien. The resort is also a member of the Club Littoral of Maison de la France.

- Bronze Medal

• Jacques Privat
Restaurant owner in Port-Camargue since 1972, his restaurant L’Amarette was the first to open in the resort.
Involved in the training of young people since the 1980s, he also held various positions, including that of president of restaurant owners in the Gard department. He was subsequently regional president of UMIH/LR and, since November 2003, has been secretary-general of the Fédération Nationale de la Restauration Française.

• Daniel Mas
From the Béziers region, Daniel Mas 'went up to Paris' when he was 18. Then nostalgia for his home area led him to return in 1981 and he opened a camping site in an olive grove at the foot of the Faugères windmills. With three friends from the Junior Economic Chamber in Béziers, he took up the challenge of setting up a tourist office in the seven communes of the Faugères wine area. The office opened in 1982 and Daniel Mas has been its president since 1983.

This event organised jointly by APPORT and CRT-LR was held on 5 February at the Montpellier Parc des Expositions during the Grand Tourism Evening. Iris awards honoured 6 Languedoc-Roussillon personalities.

The winners

- RECEPTION category
• Iris to Philippe de Frémont (Hôtel de l’Orange in Sommières, Gard)
• Special Mention: Philippe Coste (Apart’Hôtel Citadines in Montpellier)

- TOURIST PRODUCT category
• Iris to Clos Cerdan Eau de Forme in Mont-Louis, Pyrénées-Orientales (Nelly and Philippe Pujol)
• Special Mention: Le Vallon de Villaret in Bagnols-les-Bains, Lozère (Guillaume Sonnet)

- RESTAURANT category
• Iris to Laurent Arrazat (Le Temps de vivre in Soubès, Hérault)
• Special Mention: Pascal Domenge (Les cinq cailloux d’or in Ur, Pyrénées-Orientales.