From September 2011, the village of Lanslebourg which is part of the Val Cenis resort in the Haute Maurienne, will boast the largest function room in the Maurienne valley. Its 440-seat auditorium will be the conference centre’s main attraction, reflecting the village’s desire to increase tourist numbers to the area. The centre, which will cost 3.5 million euros in total, is part financed by Lanslebourg itself, together with money from the EU, the French State and the Savoie authorities. It will also have a space that will be used for exhibitions or for meals and parties (300 seating room, 400 standing room) as well as a 30-seat meeting room, tourist office and various pay stations selling lift passes or ski lessons.
“Our aim is to host seminars throughout the year, but particularly in the low season months of January, April, May, June, September and October”, notes Jean-Pierre Jorcin, Lanslebourg’s mayor. “We’re very lucky to have the TGV station at Modane so close by as it puts Paris just four hours away. The station is only 23 km from here. We offer 16,000 beds between three holiday centres that are either already open or in the process of being built and eight hotels, including one 57-room three star property. We’re targeting the seminar, conference and incentive market and we believe that this facility will enable us to fill the quietest periods. We’ll certainly have the best meeting facility in the Maurienne and we believe that we’ve already proved we have some of the necessary skills, having hosted in 2008 the first meeting of the Convention Alpine under its French presidency as well as ten years ago when we beat Seoul to host a bio-astronomy conference!”
The opening of the conference centre forms part of the strategy being implemented by Val Cenis supported by the Haute-Maurienne. The next development will be the opening of a recreational aqua centre (2000 m2) in Lanslebourg to complement the fitness centre that is housed in Les Alpages holiday centre. Another element of the strategy is the formation of the Haute Maurienne Vanoise tourist office, bringing together the villages of Lanslebourg, Lanslevillard, Termignon, Bramans, Sollières-Sardières and Bessans. 
In order to attract corporate business, Jean-Pierre Jorcin is promoting the numerous environmental and sporting attractions offered by the Haute Maurienne. “In the winter we obviously have downhill skiing, offering 130 km of skiable runs between altitudes of 1400 to 2800 m, all served by 20 ski lifts with capacity for big numbers of skiers, plus cross country ski trails. In the summer, there’s a “via ferrata” based in Les Forts de l’Esseillon, the Mont Cenis lake where people can windsurf, the biggest cycle area in the world with timed climbs over mountain passes such as the Mont Cenis and the Iseran, white water sports from Termignon to Bramans, mountain biking on the old military routes through the mountains (up to 3000m), the Vanoise National Park and the discovery of local Baroque churches. Last but not least, there are plans to create a lake at Lanslebourg…”
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Undoubtedly a mass of good reasons to persuade companies and event organisers, constantly on the lookout for new venues for their clients.
Lanslebourg Mont Cenis (Savoie)
Tel.: 00 33(0)4 79 05 91 62
