The consultancy firm KPMG were appointed to undertake the study, the results of which showed clearly that the city lacks adequate hotel accommodation and that it is not easily accessed. Its strengths were recognised as being the vibrant local economy which represents Grenoble’s most important client base for meetings and conferences together with the proximity of the mountains which are a definite attraction.

In 2006, in collaboration with the MITRA, Grenoble Tourisme et Congrès appointed the tourism branch of KPMG to undertake a study that would look at how the destination is perceived externally, contacting both local and national clients as well as potential clients.

The study, which cost 45,000 euros shared between the regional and city authorities, the Métro, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Alpexpo, allowed us to create a method of measuring both the strengths and weaknesses of the destination in particular with regard to accommodation, facilities and accessibility, explains Carole Clouet, general manager of Grenoble Tourisme et Congrès. It proved that we need to do more research in order to ascertain what position Grenoble should have on the market and the investments that needed to be made .

In order to achieve the best results, KPMG interviewed about a dozen local professionals together with 255 clients and potential clients in France as well as in Belgium and the UK. The study concluded with a comparative study over the telephone and a benchmarking exercise that looked at the market position of Lyon, Lille, Bordeaux, Nantes, Turin, Vienna, Geneva, Montreux, Vevey and Lausanne.

The results from the study were made public in September during a meeting organised at the Palais du Parlement du Dauphiné, the former law courts that will, in a few years time, become home to the tourist office, a museum, upmarket function rooms and a small number of shops. There is also a proposed plan to build a 30-room 4* hotel on the site, adds Carole Clouet.

The Palais du Parlement project has been undertaken by the Conseil Général, and it responds in part to the weaknesses highlighted by our study – ie, our lack of hotel accommodation, in particular of 4* standard rooms. Our other handicap is the lack of decent transport options, either by air or rail, with markedly bad timings between Lyon and Grenoble on the TGV. With regard to hotel accommodation, there’s not only the possibility of a 4* facility at the Palais du Parlement but we can also look forward to the opening in 2009 of another 4* property offering about 100 rooms right in the city centre .

As for its strengths, the KPMG study highlights the dynamic local economy, with several strong businesses such as Minatec and Minalogic, HP, ST Microelectronic, Schneider, CEA/CENG or Soitec, plus numerous specialist research organisations and a large university community.

This is one of the city’s strongest points, with all of these bodies organising meetings and conferences throughout the year, notes Carole Clouet. And the local economy certainly provides us with our largest clientele. Grenoble’s other strength is the proximity of the mountains, giving us the chance to work hard in the morning and to ski or organise other outdoor activites in the afternoon .

Strengthened by this knowledge, Grenoble is now keen to implement KPMG’s recommendations in order to develop its business tourism campaign. One of the consultancy’s recommendations is to focus on congress business, in particular at the Alpes Congrès venue which can host up to 3000 people, as well as developing residential seminars and corporate conferences using the range of excellent facilities already described, and finally to develop professional trade shows for the various business competitors in the area. This does mean that some of the resources, such as Alpexpo, Grenoble’s exhibition centre, will have to be updated.

We’ve already started working on this project, with Grenoble having made the decision to invest 10 million euros over three years for the first lot of improvements based on Alpexpo’s various spaces, explains Carole Clouet.  The work will start at the end of 2008. At the same time we’ll be concentrating on the addition of other specific facilities, such as the planned function rooms within the Palais du Parlement .

The whole project will be supported by a marketing and PR campaign targeting local businesses as well as companies further afield. The campaign was launched on 13 November last year during a special business tourism event held at the Musée de Grenoble involving 25 suppliers and local partners. About 400 guests from industry, university, research and health sectors accepted the invitation from Grenoble Tourisme et Congrès, enjoying on this occasion the exhibition Impressionnistes vus de France et d’Amérique .

Grenoble and its surrounding area offers almost 4000 hotel rooms with business tourism representing 72% of their business, totalling 800,000 bed nights per year. 3600 events of different types are recorded, representing a total of 183,000 participant days. The indirect economic impact of business tourism is estimated at 26 million euros.