OFFICE DE TOURISME DE BANDOL

What OFFICE DE TOURISME DE BANDOL does

Office de Tourisme de Bandol is the official municipal tourist office for Bandol, a seaside resort in the Var department of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France. It operates as a public service institution under the governance of the Bandol municipality, with a seven-person team led by Director of Publication Fabienne Bernard and Data Controller Kelly Boyer. The office's primary digital asset is bandoltourisme.fr, a content-rich destination portal built and hosted by IRIS Interactive that attracted hundreds of thousands of visitors and nearly one million page views in 2023, with the seasonal rentals listing page alone receiving over 39,000 visits in 2024.

The office's functional remit spans visitor information, destination promotion, and statutory administration. Visitor-facing products include an interactive map, live webcams, weather feeds, digital brochures, an events calendar, a youth agenda, and a souvenir boutique. Professional services for local stakeholders include a Pro Space partner portal, official furnished-tourist-accommodation classification (1–5 stars, 5-year validity, administered by approved officer Mélanie Arragon at €180–€200 per visit), tourist tax administration via bandol.taxesejour.fr, and accommodation declaration guidance via the national Declaloc.fr platform. Strategic distribution flows through the Apidae tourist information system, which broadcasts Bandol's listings to approximately 15 partner municipalities across the PACA region.

Commercially, the office derives revenue from three streams: tourist tax collection (transaction-fee model with rates from €1.15 to €5.76 per adult-night depending on star classification), episodic accommodation classification fees, and souvenir retail. Visitor information services are provided free of charge. The office has no venture or private-equity funding and operates as a municipal entity; its competitive position rests on a regulatory monopoly over classification and tourist tax administration, a portfolio of national certifications (Qualité Tourisme, Pavillon Bleu, Vignobles et Découvertes, Tourism & Handicap, OT Class), and distribution leverage through the Apidae network rather than on proprietary technology.

Name

OFFICE DE TOURISME DE BANDOL

Legal name

Bandol Tourist Office

Website

https://bandoltourisme.fr

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Office de Tourisme de Bandol is the municipal tourist office for Bandol, France, providing visitor information, official accommodation classification, and tourist tax administration through its website and a seven-person physical office, while distributing destination data across the PACA region via the Apidae network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Bandol

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Tourist Tax Collection: The tourist office oversees the collection of tourist tax (taxe de séjour) from owners of furnished tourist accommodations in Bandol. Property owners declare monthly stays and pay quarterly. Rates vary by star classification: €1.15 (1-star), €1.30 (2-star), €2.16 (3-star), €3.25 (4-star), €3.83 (5-star), €5.76 (palace). Unclassified properties pay a proportional rate of 5% + 10% (departmental) + 34% (regional) of the nightly rate per person.
2. Accommodation Classification Fees: The tourist office charges fees for classifying furnished tourist accommodation. Fee is €180 for accommodation up to 150 m² and €200 for accommodation over 150 m². This is a one-time fee per classification visit.
3. Souvenir Shop: The tourist office operates a souvenir boutique selling Bandol Tourism posters, branded products, illustrations, perfumes, and detective novels. Revenue from retail sales of souvenirs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Office de Tourisme de Bandol is the official municipal tourist office for Bandol, France, providing visitor information services, accommodation booking support, event programming, and seasonal rental classification. The office operates both a physical location in Bandol city center and a comprehensive destination website (bandoltourisme.fr) serving hundreds of thousands of visitors annually. It also administers the local tourist tax collection system and serves as the Atout France-approved body for classifying furnished tourist accommodations.

Product overview

OFFICE DE TOURISME DE BANDOL operates a comprehensive digital tourism platform centered on the Bandol Tourism Website (www.bandoltourisme.fr), which attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors annually. The core platform is supplemented by the Pro Space partner portal for managing professional accounts, availability calendars, and promotional offers. The product portfolio includes visitor-facing services (interactive map, live webcams, weather information, digital brochures, events calendar) and professional services (seasonal rental classification, tourist tax management, accommodation declaration). Supporting offerings cover Bandol wine promotion, nautical activities, hiking trails, souvenir merchandise, and a youth activities program. The platform integrates with Apidae for data distribution to partner tourist offices across the PACA region.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Seasonal Rental Classification Service Government-approved classification service that assigns 1-to-5 star ratings to furnished tourist accommodations in Bandol based on the Atout France national criteria grid. Classification visits are conducted by an approved officer, cost €180 for properties up to 150 m² and €200 for properties over 150 m², and the resulting rating is valid for 5 years, enabling favorable tax treatment and directory visibility.
• Tourist Tax Management Service Administrative service for collecting tourist tax (taxe de séjour) from furnished tourist accommodation owners in Bandol. Owners declare stays monthly and pay quarterly through the official bandol.taxesejour.fr platform, with rates varying by star classification (€1.15 to €5.76 per night for classified properties; proportional rate for unclassified).
• Accommodation Declaration Guidance Service Guidance service helping seasonal rental property owners complete their mandatory registration through the official declaloc.fr government platform, obtaining the registration number required by booking platforms such as Airbnb and Le Bon Coin.
• Souvenir Shop Retail boutique (physical at the tourist office and online) selling Bandol Tourism branded products including posters, illustrations by Mr. Z, perfumes by Color Safran, detective novels by Jean-Marie Schneider, and other local merchandise.
• Seasonal Entertainment Program Annual summer entertainment program featuring concerts, Live Terraces events, City of Treasures entertainment, photo competitions, and beach activities organized by the tourist office in partnership with local traders and activity providers.
• Pro Space Partner Portal Dedicated partner portal for Bandolese traders, restaurateurs, and accommodation owners to manage their listings on the official website, update availability calendars, post promotional offers, and access news and regulatory guidance.
• Esti'Bus Summer Shuttle Service Summer shuttle service priced at €1.30 per trip, connecting coastal Bandol to surrounding hilltop villages including Signes, Le Castellet, La Cadière d'Azur, and Evenos, operated in coordination with Provence Sud Sainte Baume agglomeration.

Quantifiable outcome

• The seasonal rentals page received over 39,000 visits in 2024.
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Apidae (Tourist Information System)coreTechnology or IntegrationApidae is a tourist information system (TIS) used by French tourist offices for data sharing. Bandol Tourism uses Apidae to create and distribute listings (accommodations, events, activities, shops) to partner municipalities throughout the PACA region. Information entered by Bandol appears on the websites of Sanary-sur-Mer, Six-Fours, and Var Tourisme, among others.
• Charlène Stingl (Bandol Commerces)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCharlène Stingl is the head of Bandol Commerces and the primary contact for traders and service providers wishing to appear on the Bandol Tourisme website or participate in tourist animations. She can be reached at [email protected] and 04 94 29 41 35.
• Bandolese traders, activity providers, and accommodation ownerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal businesses partner with the tourist office to appear on the official website and participate in seasonal tourist animations (treasure hunts, themed routes, holiday activities). The tourist office provides promotional materials and coordination; traders provide venue signage and support. Participation is free except for special operations.
• Var Tourisme / Provence Sud Sainte Baume AgglomerationcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorVar Tourisme (the departmental tourism committee) and the aggomeration of Provence Sud Sainte Baume distribute Bandol Tourism's listings and events through their platforms. The agglomeration also operates the Esti'Bus summer shuttle service connecting Bandol to surrounding villages, with stops managed in coordination with the tourist office.
• Mélanie Arragon (Furnished Tourism Classification Officer)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMélanie Arragon is the approved agent for classifying furnished tourist accommodation in Bandol. She conducts classification visits, evaluates properties against the Atout France national criteria grid, and manages the classification process for the tourist office. Contact: [email protected] / 04 94 29 41 35.
• Declaloc.fr (Ministry-approved declaration platform)coreTechnology or IntegrationDeclaloc.fr is the official government platform for declaring furnished tourist accommodation. The tourist office directs accommodation owners to this platform for mandatory registration, which generates a registration number required by booking platforms like Airbnb and Le Bon Coin.
• Taxe de Séjour platform (bandol.taxesejour.fr)coreTechnology or IntegrationBandol's official tourist tax declaration and payment platform (bandol.taxesejour.fr) allows accommodation owners to declare monthly stays and pay the tourist tax quarterly. The tourist office oversees this system and can be contacted for guidance at [email protected].

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Visit Monaco: National-level tourism authority for Monaco offering destination marketing, visitor information, and event programming. Comparable DMO/CVB function though operating at country scale rather than municipal scale.
• Var Tourisme (ADT du Var): Departmental tourism committee (Agence de Développement Touristique) for the Var, which acts as an umbrella coordinating body. Consumes and redistributes Bandol Tourism content and provides broader regional marketing that complements municipal-level tourist offices.
• Atout France: The national French tourism development agency that grants the classification authority the Bandol office uses for furnished tourist accommodation ratings. Acts as both a regulator and a peer organization providing tourism quality labels.

Direct peers

• Office de Tourisme de Sanary-sur-Mer: Neighboring Var coastal tourist office that explicitly consumes Bandol Tourism listings via the Apidae network. Provides the same suite of visitor information, accommodation classification, and tourist tax collection services for its own municipality.
• Office de Tourisme de Toulon: Municipal tourist office for Toulon in the Var department, sharing the same Apidae regional data network, similar regulatory role for tourist tax and seasonal rental classification, and comparable visitor-services mandate in the PACA region.
• Office de Tourisme de Six-Fours-les-Plages: Another Apidae-network peer in the Var, operating as a municipal tourist office with parallel mandate on seasonal rental regulation, tourist tax, and event programming on the PACA coast.

Regional players

• Office de Tourisme de Hyères: Municipal tourist office in the Var department operating a similar model of seasonal rental classification, tourist tax, and destination marketing. Comparable scale, team size, and service portfolio to Bandol Tourism within the same PACA regional ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC0SsV4BAN6kkGAmcx90X8rw
• Facebookfacebook.com/Bandoltourisme
• Instagraminstagram.com/bandoltourismeofficiel
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/office-de-tourisme-de-bandol

Compliance8 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about OFFICE DE TOURISME DE BANDOL