Mise en tourisme ViaRhôna Léman-Lyon (Tourism Development ViaRhôna Léman-Lyon)

Project n°30

INTRODUCTION

Develop the economy and tourism of territories from a cycle route by crossing administrative borders. Invent a flexible, voluntary and effective governance to coordinate the implementation of tourism between Geneva and Lyon.

PRESENTATION OF THE PROJECT

Between Lake Geneva and Lyon, 300 km of cycle route (ViaRhôna Eurovélo 17) were developed between 2010 and 2020. The communities concerned by the route and tourism stakeholders have come together and cooperated to enhance infrastructure and develop tourist, heritage and economic activity by disseminating users and irrigating the territories. 4 LAGs, 20 EPCI, 15 tourist offices and tourism providers have cooperated to implement this infrastructure in a coordinated way and generate economic benefits. After a cooperation agreement between 4 LAGs in 2019, a partnership agreement was signed in 2021 (renewed in 2024) between about twenty EPCI across 5 departments with a budget of € 300,000 and a position was created to animate the collective.

PRINCIPAL OBJECTIVES

Develop soft itineraries around a cycle route (ViaRhôna) Develop tourist, economic and cultural activities by irrigating the territories from the cycle route (300 km 5 departments, 20 EPCI) Invent a new flexible and efficient governance, a real route committee bringing together public actors, tourism and service providers in the territories Put into tourism a heavy infrastructure by developing services for cyclotouristic customers

ADDED VALUE OF THE PROJECT

• the importance of the ViaRhôna cycle route (route, investment budget, centrality in tourism development schemes

• their desire to develop itinerant tourism, irrigate the territories and develop direct and indirect economic benefits (included in their local LEADER development strategy).

Thanks to the participatory and bottom-up approach of LEADER, the actors in the LAGs agree at an early stage that they want to work on a cooperation project.

In a flexible, voluntary (and effective) way, the actors (technicians, elected officials but also tourism professionals) meet and implement a cooperation agreement from 2018. First by bringing together 4 LAGs, then EPCI, tourist offices along the 300 km of routes to implement actions decided collectively (edition of a map at the scale of 300 km, edition of a guide for the Haut Rhône ViaRhôna Routard, signage master plan, eductour, etc…)

In 2021, this LEADER cooperation project continues to expand with the opening up of new territories to create a coherent route committee (which serves as a model elsewhere in France). A coordinator’s position is created, financed by the Region and the State, carried by one of the communities of communes. A budget of 300,000 euros allows the actions carried out by the collective to be developed. In 2024, the work continues, with large budgets, while keeping the spirit and memory of this LEADER initiative.