Introduction

Since 2020, the counties of Val-d'Oise and Oise, together with Voies Navigables de France, have decided to develop the economic sectors of the Oise Valley. To achieve this, the partners have set up a master plan for the development of river tourism. This strategy aims to enhance the river cruise business, define a development plan for river and riverbank tourism products, and structure the Oise Valley destination as part of the "Oise River Side" dynamic.

The challenge for the "Oise River Side" approach is to establish a unified communication strategy for the Oise Valley destination, particularly with tourism professionals. A targeted approach has been developed to promote the destination's development along several axes: stays and cruises (hotel barges, boat tours, boat and bike combinations), leisure activities (development of a networked bike hire service and water-based leisure activities), floating establishments, and unique accommodations.

Presentation of the specific action:

To harmonise communication as much as possible, “Oise River Side” has a website where tourist information for the Oise valley is available. The next step for 'Oise River Side' will be to produce a map that visually summarises all tourist information related to the Oise Valley. This map will be used to promote the region at the 'Sloww!' river tourism trade show in January 2025. It can then be digitised by 2026 and integrated into the 'Oise River Side' website. This new collaborative tool will be a real asset for the development of territorial marketing in the Oise Valley.

Measurable results:

Like this map, “Oise River Side” will continue to develop innovative tools to enhance the appeal of the Oise Valley as a destination. To measure the impact of investments in the 'Oise River Side' approach, the two counties (Val d'Oise and Oise) have established an observatory to monitor river traffic. Attractiveness is assessed by counting the number of public and private river operators interested in the destination and investing in the Oise Valley. Finally, the evolution of website traffic and the number of clicks on each webpage indicate the public's interest in the destination. All these indicators are collected annually.

The target date or frequency of availability of the result. Please also indicate the planned investments allocated to the implementation of the action:

The map is set to be created in 2024 so that it can be presented at the “Sloww!” trade show on 21 and 22 January 2025. To produce this map, the two tourism agencies (“Val d'Oise Tourisme” and “Oise Tourisme”) plan to invest around €15,000. The main costs will cover creating the map’s design and visuals, as well as collecting the necessary data. Digitisation is scheduled for 2026 and will require additional investment. This investment is part of a general initiative for the collaborative construction of the tourist appeal of the Oise Valley region.