1) Isabelle Martial, introduce yourself in a few words.
I was born in Oise, to a mother from the north of France and a father from the southwest. My family quickly returned to Toulouse, my father's birthplace. I did all my schooling in the pink city, higher scientific studies at Paul-Sabatier University. I then went to Paris to do a thesis there… but ended up staying there for 23 years. Years during which I worked for service companies carrying out clinical studies for the pharmaceutical industry. It was a desire for change, a return to basics and a refocusing of my priorities that led my husband and me to leave Paris and for my part to completely change our activity (while my husband continues to work for the same company).
We wanted to get closer to our families, had a vision of the great south-west and, if possible, the proximity of Toulouse. We wanted a medium-sized city, on a human scale, lively and dynamic with a real quality of life and tourist appeal allowing the opening of a guest house. Albi quickly imposed itself on us and the house we acquired ended up seducing us!
And Albi did not disappoint us. We received a warm welcome from the population, the town hall, traders and various tourist actors. And what a pleasant feeling to marvel at the beauty of this historic center every day and to receive nothing but praise from visitors who have come to discover our city – sometimes a bit by chance – but who leave enchanted and become our best ambassadors.
And Albi did not disappoint us. We received a warm welcome from the population, the town hall, traders and various tourist actors. And what a pleasant feeling to marvel at the beauty of this historic center every day and to receive nothing but praise from visitors who have come to discover our city – sometimes a bit by chance – but who leave enchanted and become our best ambassadors.
2) What do you expect from this function of president?
To be able to participate in the collective effort, to commit myself to the bodies that represent us and work for us on a daily basis. In these times of crisis it is also to choose the card of the collective - which in the land of rugby means a lot - to take action, to mobilize the living forces in order to overcome this ordeal and move forward.
I have always thought that unity was strength, that success was plural, a team affair: the success of the collective benefits each person who composes it.
It is therefore naturally that I chose to commit myself alongside the team of the tourist office, its administrators and its members for the next 3 years to be at the service of Albi and take my part of the responsibility in the history that we are writing together.
The main axes of my commitment for this mandate: “bring together, involve, develop, promote”.
- involve members; the tourist office is there for them which has by them
- develop collaboration with local stakeholders,
- help promote Albi and the surrounding areas in order to attract more visitors and make them stay with us longer,
- imagine and work on the development of the tourism of tomorrow
3) How do you imagine the tourism of tomorrow in Albi?
Tourism is changing very quickly, and so are consumption patterns. The current pandemic has reinforced and accelerated these changes. We are all in the uncertainty of tomorrow. We must therefore continue to work on our foreign markets to prepare for the “reopening”, while strengthening our communication with the inhabitants of the nearest metropolises and reinventing local tourism. The very strong competition from other countries and other regions of France forces us to differentiate ourselves, to adopt an offensive, offbeat, relevant and targeted communication. The future will be digital or it will not be. As the new generations go less and less to tourist offices, we need to reinvent our communication to make them want to come and visit our region and develop other communication channels to be able to reach them. Without neglecting the need for human contact, enriching encounters, personalized welcome, enlightened advice, without which tourism would only be an empty shell of meaning.
4) And the Tourist Office, what role does it have to play in the face of all these changes?
The Tourist Office, the "armed arm" of the city of Albi in terms of tourism, is made up of competent and motivated employees. Their profession is constantly evolving with changes in the consumption habits of visitors. They must acquire new skills and adapt to constantly changing customer requirements. They have shown us over the past few years and particularly during the period of confinement that they are true professionals who know how to show creativity and a spirit of initiative.
The Tourist Office, a resource center for its members, deciphers trends, advises and shows the way, to always stick as closely as possible to the aspirations of our visitors.
But the Tourist Office must also continue to be a place of life, where the inhabitants of the city of Albi and the surrounding area come to find out about current activities and festivities, buy tickets for a show, glean ideas to occupy the grandchildren, etc.