OFFICE DU TOURISME ET DES CONGRES DU GRAND CHALON

What OFFICE DU TOURISME ET DES CONGRES DU GRAND CHALON does

OFFICE DU TOURISME ET DES CONGRES DU GRAND CHALON is a publicly funded French tourism organization (Catégorie I classification, the highest tier) operating since 1929 in Chalon-sur-Saône, Burgundy, and serving the Grand Chalon metropolitan area. It runs four integrated operational divisions — Pôle Tourisme (visitor information, accommodation, activities, and travel package sales under travel-agent registration IM071100015), Pôle Évènement (Parc des Expositions, Colisée, and corporate venue rentals), Pôle Spectacles (performing arts across multiple theaters and performance venues), and Pôle Plaisance (marina and river-based tourism on the Saône) — supported by four physical tourist offices in Chalon-sur-Saône, Givry, Saint-Léger-sur-Dheune, and Rully.

Its underlying technology platform is a multilingual (French, English, German) website (achalon.com) and Grand Chalon mobile application, both developed and hosted by RACCOURCI agency, complemented by online ticketing, a royalty-free photo library, the Décibelles Data professional portal, the Observatoire du Tourisme analytics resource, the AGALO blog journal, and a souvenir e-commerce boutique. Standard third-party integrations include Google Analytics, Google/Apple Maps, Waze, Mappy, social platforms, Nurtik (email), and Google Forms. Compliance posture covers GDPR/RGPD, French Data Protection Act, and RGAA 4.1.2 (partial accessibility conformance).

Revenue mechanics span four streams: (1) professional services from tourism bookings, group travel packages, and contractual reservations (50% deposit on bookings over €200 TTC); (2) event venue rental and organization (fairs, exhibitions, seminars, congresses, shows); (3) marina services including mooring and equipment; and (4) souvenir and regional product retail (Edmond Fallot mustards, Burgundy specialties, Nicéphore Niépce memorabilia). The customer mix is a long-tail of individual leisure tourists, SMB group organizers, and enterprise corporate event clients. Scale signals include 2.7 million overnight stays recorded in 2025, 100,000+ visitors served across divisions in 2024, 446 river cruise stops, and 516 registered tourist accommodation establishments in the area.

Name

OFFICE DU TOURISME ET DES CONGRES DU GRAND CHALON

Legal name

Office de Tourisme et des Congrès de Chalon-sur-Saône

Website

https://achalon.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Office de Tourisme et des Congrès du Grand Chalon is a publicly funded French Catégorie I tourism organization that promotes Chalon-sur-Saône and the Grand Chalon region through four divisions covering visitor information, event venues, performing arts, and marina services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Tourism and Destination Management Services

NAICS

Convention and Visitors Bureaus (561591), Tour Operators (561520), Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation, Water (48721)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Tours, Activities & Experiences Booking (HSACAKAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Recreation & Activity Services (Hiking, Boating, Climbing, Fishing—Guided/Authorized) (THAAAGAF), Permitting, Reservations & Visitor Information Services (Passes, Booking, Visitor Centers) (THAAAGAD)

Keywords

• Tourism information services
• Event venue rental
• Marina services
• Convention bureau
• Destination management

Headquarters

HQ city

Chalon-sur-Saône

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Tourism Services and Bookings: The Office de Tourisme organizes and sells travel and stay packages (individual and collective) within its geographic intervention zone. Services include accommodation bookings, activity reservations, group travel arrangements, and tourism information services. Registration number IM071100015 for travel and stay sales.
2. Event Venue Rental and Organization: Rental of event spaces including Parc des Expositions, Colisée salons, Pavillon Elan, and performance venues (Salle Marcel Sembat, Théâtre Piccolo, Espace des Arts). Services for fairs, exhibitions, seminars, congresses, and shows.
3. Marina Services: Pleasure boating port services including mooring, equipment, and facilities at the Chalon-sur-Saône marina.
4. Souvenir and Product Sales: On-site retail store selling regional products including wine accessories, Burgundy specialties (Edmond Fallot mustards and vinegars), books, souvenirs, and Nicéphore Niépce memorabilia.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

The Office de Tourisme et des Congrès du Grand Chalon operates four integrated divisions serving visitors to the Grand Chalon region in Burgundy, France: Tourism (visitor information, accommodation and activity bookings, group travel organization), Plaisance (marina and recreational boating on the Saône river), Événement (rental of event venues including Parc des Expositions, Colisée salons, and Pavillon Elan for fairs, exhibitions, seminars, and congresses), and Spectacles (performing arts programming across Salle Marcel Sembat, Théâtre Piccolo, Espace des Arts, and Théâtre de Verdure). It is a licensed travel agent (registration IM071100015) selling individual and group travel and stay packages.

Product overview

OFFICE DU TOURISME ET DES CONGRES DU GRAND CHALON operates as a unified multi-pillar destination management organization with four core divisions: the core Tourism Division (Pôle Tourisme) for visitor services, the Plaisance Division for marina and water-based tourism, the Events Division (Pôle Événement) for exhibitions and corporate venues, and the Spectacles Division for performing arts. The offering is enhanced by digital tools including a mobile app, an online booking/ticketing system, the Décibelles Data professional portal, the AGALO blog journal, a professional newsletter, and an e-commerce boutique. All four divisions share infrastructure including the online platform achalon.com available in French, English, and German, with dedicated spaces for tourism professionals and press.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Pôle Tourisme Core tourism division providing visitor information, accommodation and restaurant listings, activity bookings, sightseeing and cultural heritage guides, and travel planning services for the Grand Chalon region; serves individual tourists and group travel organizers.
• Pôle Événement Events division managing the Parc des Expositions, Colisée salons, and Pavillon Elan for exhibitions, trade shows, seminars, corporate congresses, and large-scale events; serves corporate event organizers, associations, and professional groups.
• Pôle Spectacles Performing arts division operating Salle Marcel Sembat, Théâtre Piccolo, Espace des Arts, and Théâtre de Verdure for concerts, theatrical performances, and cultural shows; serves individual showgoers, schools, and cultural groups.
• Pôle Plaisance Marina division operating Port de Plaisance de Chalon-sur-Saône, providing mooring services, equipment, and riverside tourism experiences for pleasure boaters and river cruise passengers along the Saône river.
• Boutique de l'Office de Tourisme Physical and online shop selling regional products including wine accessories, Edmond Fallot mustards and vinegars, books, souvenirs, mugs, camera replicas (referencing Nicéphore Niépce, the birthplace of photography), soaps, and candles.
• Réservation en Ligne (Billetterie) Online ticketing platform for events, shows, performances, and activities hosted across the Grand Chalon area, available to individual visitors.

Quantifiable outcome

• 2.7 million overnight stays recorded in 2025
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration13 records

Feature1 record

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Office de Tourisme de Mâcon: Direct peer: tourism office in the neighboring Saône-et-Loire town of Mâcon offering comparable tourism, events, and marina services along the Saône river. Geographically adjacent and structurally similar in mission and segmentation.
• Office de Tourisme de Dijon Métropole: Direct peer: metropolitan tourism office for the regional capital of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté. Same Category I classification, integrates tourism, events, and convention bureau functions like Grand Chalon, and competes for the same regional visitor pool.
• Office de Tourisme de Beaune & Pays Beaunois: Direct peer: another French Category I tourism office in Burgundy, focused on the Côte de Beaune wine route. Highly comparable in mission (wine tourism DMO), labels held, and target visitor segments, and competes directly with Grand Chalon for Burgundy tourism flows.

Emerging players

• GetYourGuide: Online platform for tours, activities, and tickets. Comparable as a digital distribution channel that competes with the office's ticketing platform (Billetterie) and bookings of accommodations and activities.
• Viator (Tripadvisor): Global online tours and activities marketplace that competes with the office's booking and ticketing arms. Comparable in the activity booking layer; differs by being a global OTA rather than a destination DMO.

Broad incumbents

• Atout France: National tourism development agency for France. Sets national quality standards (e.g., Qualité Tourisme mark) under which Grand Chalon operates and provides strategic and marketing coordination at the country level.
• Bourgogne-Franche-Comté Tourisme (CRT): Regional tourism committee overseeing the broader Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region of which Grand Chalon is a part. Functions as the regional umbrella, sets strategy, and redistributes funding to member offices including Grand Chalon.

Regional players

• Explore Grand Est: Regional tourism portal/organization for the neighboring Grand Est region offering comparable DMO services (information, bookings, events). Different geography but a directly comparable DMO operating model and customer base.
• Office de Tourisme de la Vallée du Lot: Comparable French regional tourism office combining tourism information, event venues, and marina/river activities along a different waterway (the Lot). Similar four-pillar operating model of tourism, events, shows, and boating.

Others

• ADN Tourisme (Fédération Nationale): Federation representing French tourism offices. Provides professional training, classification standards, and lobbying voice; comparable as an ecosystem/industry body underpinning the office's operations.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/achalontourisme
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/office-du-tourisme-et-des-congres-du-grand-chalon

Compliance7 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about OFFICE DU TOURISME ET DES CONGRES DU GRAND CHALON