Spotlight interview
Interview with Thomas Desmurs, Director, Dijon Tourist Board
1. Are there news or special activities you would like to share?
Dijon will soon be home to a new site that will enhance the city’s attractivity. The Gastronomy and Wine Cité, located at the heart of the city, will offer a great variety of activities with top venue facilities, restaurants, local shops, museums, Ferrandi schools, cinemas, habitat and so on.
The Gastronomy and Wine Cité will host the biggest wine tasting centre in Europe with 3000 different wines that visitors can taste. In addition, Dijon has been chosen by the International Organisation of Vine and Wine to host their headquarters from 2024, which will strengthen the position of the city as the cradle of wine tasting and gastronomy.
2. What is your current focus and how did the crisis impact your product development?
Dijon considerably adapted its offer during the pandemic providing tourists with audio guides in 5 different languages to visit the city in autonomy; also adapting all the guided tours to meet health regulations. Destination Dijon focused on domestic markets and developed products and services which were relevant to them. We consequently privileged group visits and reshuffled our pricing accordingly. Support and collaboration with local partners and networks have been crucial during the crisis and definitely a way forward to continue the recovery process.
3. What are you expecting from your ETOA membership? Why did you decide to join?
Destination Dijon is thrilled to join ETOA as an international network that we believe will increase our visibility and allow us to create business opportunities with key market players. We also value prospects for collaboration and sharing expertise with other second-tier cities developing as fast as Dijon.
