The association Entreprise et Découverte accompanies companies in know-how tourism, a practice that brings together 15 million visitors a year. For Cécile Pierre, General Delegate of Entreprise et Découverte, there are at least three major interests in this approach.
"?Le first issue is communication. It is a question of making your company known to the general public, its specificities, its characteristics, its history. It is a challenge based on something unique, which is the truth of a company. The visitor enters the workshop. A direct communication relationship is established, which is particularly important in highly competitive industries because it allows local know-how to be promoted.?»
The second issue is economic. Visits can become a profit centre for the company," explains Cécile Pierre. " ?Entre ticketing and direct purchases at the end of the visit, know-how tourism represents for some companies an important part of the activity. Visits are becoming a new source of non-relocatable income.?»
Management and recruitment
Finally, a third important issue concerns the managerial dimension of the company, according to the association. "?Il there is an appreciation of employees and know-how as well as a very positive relationship that is created between employees and visitors. In some sectors, the visits also make it possible to promote jobs to young people.?»
But how do you find time for a company that already works a lot in urgence?? "?Quand a company realises that visits represent a communication issue, a profit centre, a management tool, and possibly a resource for recruiting, they find the time. It's a new business for the company. But to be interesting, it must be professionnalisé?", explains Cécile Pierre.
While everything remains to be done in the printing industry, certain sectors such as cosmetics have already taken the plunge. But it's in the food industry that professionalization is the most accomplished. And the public is there.
" ?Les visitors meet two conditions: if we go and get them, and if the visit is interesting. The challenge is that companies discover that we are creating new cultural products in each region.?»
