Tourisme en Pays de Saint-Omer

What Tourisme en Pays de Saint-Omer does

Tourisme en Pays de Saint-Omer is a publicly-funded tourism promotion organization (Société Publique Locale) operating as the official Destination Management Organization for the Pays de Saint-Omer territory in the Hauts-de-France region of northern France. The organization runs the main Office de Tourisme et des Congrès in Saint-Omer (7 place Victor Hugo) and a satellite tourist information point in Aire-sur-la-Lys, supported by a 15-person team. Its functional role spans visitor information, activity booking, guided tours, event programming, and territorial promotion, with no commercial tourism enterprise competing with it within the territory.

The core product portfolio centers on three pillars: (1) curated experiences including guided heritage tours (Le St-O Express at €5.50, historical walks from €3), boat cruises aboard Le Merveilleux (€90–€100), workshops (€5–€15), and the Saison Merveilleuse annual event program; (2) the Omerveilleux Pass discount card bundling attractions, dining, and accommodations; and (3) the multilingual website (FR/EN/NL/DE) integrated with Billetweb for online ticketing and Google Calendar for event scheduling. The platform handles discovery, booking, and visitor information across 33 communes, including the UNESCO Ramsar Audomarois marshes, the La Coupole WWII bunker, and the Fontinettes boat lift.

The business model combines public institutional funding from three government bodies (CAPSO as primary, Département du Pas-de-Calais, Région Hauts-de-France) with transactional service fees from paid activities, event bookings, and merchandise. The Omerveilleux Pass represents a nascent pricing innovation. Customer segments are dominated by individual tourists, families, and organized groups seeking leisure, cultural, and nature-based experiences, with secondary segments for business tourism, accessible tourism, and group bookings. Revenue figures are not publicly disclosed, and no commercial revenue outside the SPL structure is reported.

Name

Tourisme en Pays de Saint-Omer

Legal name

Office de Tourisme et des Congrès du Pays de Saint-Omer

Website

https://tourisme-saintomer.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Tourisme en Pays de Saint-Omer is the official publicly-funded tourism board (SPL) for the Pays de Saint-Omer territory in Hauts-de-France, France, providing visitor information, activity bookings, guided tours, and event programming across 33 communes via its Saint-Omer headquarters and Aire-sur-la-Lys satellite office.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Tourism and Destination Promotion Services

NAICS

Convention and Visitors Bureaus (561591), Tour Operators (561520), Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation, Water (4872)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Permitting, Reservations & Visitor Information Services (Passes, Booking, Visitor Centers) (THAAAGAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Culture, Heritage & Arts Itinerary Planning (THAKAOAK), Recreation & Activity Services (Hiking, Boating, Climbing, Fishing—Guided/Authorized) (THAAAGAF)

Keywords

• Destination marketing services
• Visitor information services
• Guided tourism tours
• Cultural heritage promotion
• Leisure activity bookings

Headquarters

HQ city

Saint-Omer

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Public Funding and Institutional Support: As a public tourism organization (SPL - Société Publique Locale), the office receives funding from local authorities including the CAPSO (Communauté d'Agglomération du Pays de Saint-Omer), the Pas-de-Calais Department, and the Hauts-de-France Region to promote tourism in the territory.
2. Service Fees and Activity Bookings: Revenue generated through booking fees for activities, guided tours, and events. Various paid activities are offered including boat cruises (from €100), guided tours (from €3-5.50), workshops (from €5-15), and comedy shows (from €8).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Tourisme en Pays de Saint-Omer is the official destination tourism office (Office de Tourisme et des Congrès) for the Pays de Saint-Omer territory in northern France. It promotes tourism and provides visitor information, guided tours, activity bookings, and event programming through its physical offices and multilingual website. Core services include the Omerveilleux Pass discount card, audio-guided tours of heritage sites, the Le Merveilleux river cruise, workshops, the seasonal Saison Merveilleuse event series, and ticketing for partner activities across 33 communes.

Product overview

Tourisme en Pays de Saint-Omer operates as a regional tourism promotion organization providing a comprehensive digital platform for the Saint-Omer area in northern France. The main offering is the official tourism website that serves as a one-stop portal for visitor information, booking services, and activity discovery. Core products include the Omerveilleux Pass discount card, audio-guided tours, the Le Merveilleux river cruise experience, diverse guided tour programs, and the seasonal Saison Merveilleuse event series. The platform integrates with Billetweb for ticketing and Google Calendar for event scheduling. The territory encompasses Saint-Omer, Aire-sur-la-Lys, Arques, Lumbres, and surrounding communities in the Pas-de-Calais region.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Omerveilleux Pass (Pass Merveilleux / Pass Omerveilleux) A discount card providing savings on tourism activities, attractions, dining, and accommodations throughout the Pays de Saint-Omer territory for visitors.
• Audio-Guided Tours Self-guided audio tours of heritage attractions including the Ascenseur à Bateaux des Fontinettes, allowing visitors to explore at their own pace with narrated commentary.
• Le Merveilleux Cruise Full-day river cruise aboard the fluvial yacht 'Le Merveilleux' departing from Aire-sur-la-Lys, including breakfast, aperitif, lunch, and afternoon refreshments.
• Guided Tours Program Extensive catalog of guided tours including historical walks, heritage site visits, boat tours, and cultural experiences led by local guides.
• Le St-O Express (Guided Discovery Tour) Guided discovery tour in the historic center of Saint-Omer, offering one hour of heritage highlights and surprises for visitors.
• Mariner Knot Workshop (Nœuds de marinier) Creative workshop teaching maritime knots for families and children aged 6 and up, held at the Port de plaisance in Aire-sur-la-Lys.
• Rando-Rail Experience Rail-based hiking experience in the Pays de Lumbres area combining small-gauge rail travel with walking trails, including the new 'Forêt des Gridounes' aerial adventure playground.
• Saison Merveilleuse Annual extraordinary events program featuring magical and unusual experiences throughout the Pays de Saint-Omer territory, designed for visitors of all ages.
• Markets & Brocantes Directory Online directory listing markets, flea markets, and garage sales (brocantes and vide-greniers) across the Pays de Saint-Omer and Pays de Lumbres territories.
• Indoor Activities Guide Curated guide for activities during rainy weather, including workshops, concerts, exhibitions, museum visits, and cultural events at indoor venues.

Quantifiable outcome

• Territory coverage: 33 communes with GeoTour geocaching activity
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 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

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• CAPSO (Communauté d'Agglomération du Pays de Saint-Omer)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCAPSO is the main local government authority and primary institutional partner. The SPL Tourisme en Pays de Saint-Omer operates under CAPSO's umbrella, receiving public funding and collaborating on territorial development initiatives including the 'Conteurs en campagne' festival and library network partnerships.
• Communauté de communes du Pays de Lumbres (CCPL)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCCPL partners with the tourism office for activities in the Pays de Lumbres territory including the Rando-Rail adventure (Safari Rail Aventure, Rando-rail and Trotti-trail), the Gridounes Forest aerial playground, and trail station activities.
• Département du Pas-de-CalaismajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Department of Pas-de-Calais organizes the 'Mercredis de l'été' operation, providing free bus transport to beaches from Saint-Omer. The tourism office promotes this initiative and serves as a departure point.
• Région Hauts-de-FrancemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe regional council provides funding and promotional support for tourism development in the Saint-Omer territory, contributing to marketing and infrastructure initiatives.
• NRJ Nord Littoral (Radio Station)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership with local NRJ radio station for the 'Les Savanturiers' treasure hunt game, where daily clues are broadcast to help participants find golden tickets for prizes.
• La Coupole (Museum and Planetarium)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLa Coupole is a major heritage site and planetarium housed in a WWII German bunker. The tourism office promotes visits and includes it in guided tour programs.
• Association Aire Animation PatrimoineminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal heritage association partnered with the Aire-sur-la-Lys tourist office for historical walking tours and cultural events.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Office de Tourisme et des Congrès de Lille: The official tourism office serving the Lille metropolitan area in Hauts-de-France. Same legal form (public tourism office), same regional market, same model of visitor information, booking platform, and event programming — the closest geographic and functional peer.
• Office de Tourisme du Grand Dunkerquois: Tourist office covering the Dunkerque urban area in Hauts-de-France. Same territorial tourism-board mandate, similar coastal/heritage positioning, and shared eligibility for regional Hauts-de-France co-funding.
• Office de Tourisme et des Congrès d'Arras: Tourism office for the Arras / Pays d'Artois area in Hauts-de-France. Directly comparable in scope, funding structure (intercommunalité backing), and historical-heritage positioning relative to Saint-Omer.
• Office de Tourisme du Boulonnais (Boulogne-sur-Mer): Tourism board serving Boulogne-sur-Mer and the Boulonnais coast in Hauts-de-France. Comparable in size, mandate, and visitor-segment mix (coastal/port heritage + family leisure), and a nearby regional competitor for Hauts-de-France visitors.
• Office de Tourisme de la Côte d'Opale: Public tourism office for the Calais Côte d'Opale area, also in Hauts-de-France and within ~30 km of Saint-Omer. Operates with a comparable visitor-center + booking + event model and competes for the same cross-Channel and Belgian feeder traffic.

Broad incumbents

• Comité Régional du Tourisme Hauts-de-France (CRT): The regional tourism committee that co-funds and federates the Saint-Omer office. Not a direct competitor but the broader incumbent that defines regional strategy and pools marketing budget across member offices including this one.
• Atout France: The national French tourism development agency that administers the Qualité Tourisme and Destination d'Excellence labels held by the Saint-Omer office. Operates one level above as the national incumbent in destination promotion and classification.

Regional players

• Visit Flanders / Visit Belgium: The cross-border regional tourism board that competes for Belgian and Dutch feeder demand into northern France. Operates in the same visitor-segment pool but from a non-overlapping national jurisdiction.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/office-de-tourisme-et-des-congr%C3%A8s-du-pays-de-saint-omer

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries3 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 Tourisme en Pays de Saint-Omer