LES MAISONNETTES

1. LES MAISONNETTES • Source:j.mezin.free.fr;www.online.ibo.org

2. Sophie Lagarde Source:www.thelifeofluxury.com

3. Les Maisonnettes (literally: "the little houses") is the name of Sophie Lagarde's socially responsible business . • SOURCE:www.ittihadcapital.com ; www.northerntrust.com

4. Source:www.fossiel.net

5. Source:http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1180/1340537091_ddeb76c186_o.pngSource:http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1180/1340537091_ddeb76c186_o.png

6. Source:http://www.hillmanwonders.com/z_location_map/france/map_millau_bridge.gifSource:http://www.hillmanwonders.com/z_location_map/france/map_millau_bridge.gif

7. It is located in southern France near Millau, in a semi-mountainous region which is becoming increasingly popular with both national and international tourists as a new motorway has been constructed, linking this region to Paris. • Source:www.valac.nl/walking-france-summary.html

8. Southern France • Source:www.trentobike.org

9. Millau Bridge (le Viaduc de Millau) • Source:www.panoramio.com

10. Millau bridge It is located in southern France near Millau • SOURCE: www.millau-clic.com

11. A regional airport is due to be completed in 2010 serving the low-cost UK airline, Fly-Fare. • Source:blog.oregonlive.com

12. History

13. In 2001, Sophie's parents ran a small grocery shop in St Germain. However, the construction of a new motorway led to a decrease in sales as passing trade dropped. • Source:www.leedubinart.com

14. Sophie's parents investigated possible new ventures to provide income for their retirement. After much searching they found a plot of land with a number of derelict barns, 15 minutes away from St Germain.Source:www.pbase.com

15. Sophie's parents realised that running the village shop in St Germain and developing this new venture (Les Maisonnettes) was not possible. After much deliberation they felt that Sophie, their daughter, would be better able to make it a success. Sophie was happy to take ownership of this venture. • Source:freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com

16. After discussions with her local bank and Chamber of Commerce, Sophie took out a €300 000 loan, which will be fully repaid in spring 2026, to fund the venture. • Source:www.waymarking.com ; www.guardian.co.uk

17. This loan enabled her to buy the plot of land and to convert each of the three barns into two cottages suitable for tourist accommodation. Source:clevengerstudios.com

18. convert each of the three barns into two cottages suitable for tourist accommodation.

19. Each cottage has 2 bedrooms, The original farmhouse was developed into a restaurant.

20. All buildings have retained their traditional French style. The local builders restored the buildings to a very high quality;

21. guests always comment on the beautiful interior design

22. Photographs of the building have been used by the regional tourist board in a promotional brochure for the area.

23. Les Maisonnettes was an instant success and for the first few years demand for its rooms grew

24. 2004, Sophie converted the business from a sole trader to a private limited company.

25. In the summer months of 2005, the occupancy rate peaked at 100% (Appendix 1).

26. In 2007, Sophie's parents retired, leaving Sophie with responsibility for both the grocery shop and Les Maisonnettes.. • She manages Les Maisonnettes directly and lives on the premises

27. The shop, however, has been run by a succession of old school friends of Sophie. She is concerned about the lack of continuity and the high levels of staff turnover in the shop.

28. Les Maisonnettes • Since 2003 guests and the general public

29. The restaurant business is increasingly important (Appendix 2)

30. Sophie has thought of developing a joint venture with a local winery.

31. In 2005, Les Maisonnettes won a number of regional awards for the quality of their food. • In 2007, the French Tourist Board rated rural accommodation providers, and Les Maisonnettes scored very highly. Source:www.dkimages.com;www.labyrinth.net.au

32. Marketing • Many Europeans, increasingly aware of the socio-cultural and environmental impacts of traditional tourism, are attracted to the idea of eco-tourism. Source:getvegan.com;www.pcarrd.dost.gov.ph;

33. This is because of its two main characteristics; firstly, it is designed to benefit local communities, • secondly, it is based on activities that cause less damage to the local environment. • In practice, eco-tourism is a relatively small niche market, but is growing rapidly

34. Source:www.ecoclub.com • Les Maisonnettes was an early adopter of eco-tourism. Sophie is an active member of the Association Française d'Ecotourisme (AFE), which is a non-governmental organization (NGO) dedicated to promoting sustainable tourism practices in France. Its mission is to "assist tourist operators to become environmentally sustainable, economically viable and socially responsible".

35. In keeping with this mission,Les Maisonnettes only sources local products. Sophie cooperates with local businesses, discusses all her projects with the community • encourages activities that have a minimal environmental impact (hiking, horse riding, canoeing, fishing).

36. As a member of the Regional Tourist Board, Logis de France** and AFE, Les Maisonnettes is listed in their brochures and on their websites.* • www.logisdefrance.com • www.ecotourisme.info Source:www.ecoclub.com; www.hotellepanoramic.com

37. Logis de France: an independent chain of accommodation providers; their label (represented through ratings of one, two or three fireplaces) is a sign of high quality service, authenticity and the use of local specialities Source:www.hotellepanoramic.com

38. Inspectors visiting the premises in 2007 awarded Les Maisonnettes a rating of two "fireplaces". This rating is based on a checklist of more than 200 quality criteria and represents "a high level of comfort and tasty cuisine for the price". Sophie is allowed to display the two "fireplaces" on all promotional materials. Receipt of the rating for quality prompted Sophie to consider positioning the name Les Maisonnettes as a socially responsible brand, as opposed to just the name of the premises. Source:http://www.banquetevent.com/event/misc/bande/uploaded_images/GMGC-tree-750835.gif; http://msnbcmedia1.msn.com/j/msnbc/Sections/Travel%20Section/______EDIT/PARTNER%20STORIES%20TO%20EDIT/ResponsibleHotelsCayugaSustainableHospitality.hmedium.jpg

39. Source:http://gofrance.about.com/od/lodging/p/logisdefrance.htmSource:http://gofrance.about.com/od/lodging/p/logisdefrance.htm • What is Logis de France?: Logis de France is an organization of 300-plus smaller hotels, mostly akin to an American inn, which are almost always connected to a fine restaurant. The Logis de France are a great option for those who want a true French lodging experience, but the assurance of certain standards. Logis de France's independently-run inns average 19 rooms, so they are on the smaller side without being as tiny as a chambre d'hote.

40. Source:http://gofrance.about.com/od/lodging/p/logisdefrance.htmSource:http://gofrance.about.com/od/lodging/p/logisdefrance.htm • Choosing a Logis de France Hotel: The Logis de France chain features a fireplace rating, running from one to three fireplaces. Judging with a checklist of more than 200 criteria, with these basic descriptions from Logis de France: • One fireplace: Simple but comfortable furnishing, good cuisine, excellent value. • Two fireplaces: A high level of comfort and tasty cuisine for the price. • Three fireplaces: An extremely comfortable hotel, elaborate cuisine, and attentive service.

41. Example (source) http://www.verdun-tourisme.com/fiche-presentation_hotel-819-UK-H-BELLEVUE-FAMILLE.html • Hotel Restaurant "Bellevue Hotel"  (Argonne)     A 2-star hotel and restaurant (rated 2 fireplaces by Logis de France) on the Paris-Reims-Châlons en Champagne road via the RN3, approximately 25 km from Verdun. Car park, private courtyard, garden and patio. Nearby, battlefield sites commemorating the battles of the Argonne during the First World War e.g. Vauquois, Kaisertunnel, Haute-Chevauchée etc. Spoken language(s) : Service(s) : Full pension, Accomodation with breakfast, Accomodation, Half pension Capacity of the hotel : 7 rooms Restaurant's Capacity : 20 People in terrace, 100 People in dinning room

42. Sophie relies on word-of-mouth promotion. A significant proportion of guests are either returning customers or new customers who have received a positive recommendation • Source:http://images.google.co.in/imgres?imgurl=http://blogs.voices.com/voxdaily/word-of-mouth-320.jpg&imgrefurl=http://blogs.voices.com/voxdaily/promotions/&usg=__KHAOrr3lro5cvPt-4a4VePUSic0=&h=380&w=320&sz=41&hl=en&start=5&tbnid=xiwZC-M1CBU1BM:&tbnh=123&tbnw=104&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dword%2Bof%2Bmouth%2Bpublicity%2Bof%2Bhotels%26hl%3Den http://images.google.co.in/imgres?imgurl=http://blogs.theage.com.au/schembri/lars3.jpg&imgrefurl=http://blogs.theage.com.au/schembri/archives/2008/04/&usg=__f-CTSoPb25L_AjY_0KHpDVrNie8=&h=392&w=300&sz=37&hl=en&start=4&tbnid=H-MSb876ZUqnPM:&tbnh=123&tbnw=94&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dword%2Bof%2Bmouth%2Bpublicity%2Bof%2Bhotels%26hl%3Den

43. From customer questionnaires, a stay at Les Maisonnettes is perceived as good value. Published surveys reveal that eco-tourists are more likely to be middle aged and have an above average income.

44. Even though people aged between 18 and 30 endorse the ideals of eco-tourism, few visitors to Les Maisonnettes are in this age group. • Source:http://images.google.co.in/imgres?imgurl=http://wwwdelivery.superstock.com/WI/223/1654/PreviewComp/SuperStock_1654R-21035.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.superstock.com/stock-photos-images/1654R-21035&usg=__ZFSb3Ct6MA21xB3mXeMByfIkgK4=&h=233&w=350&sz=87&hl=en&start=1&tbnid=Kp2FnzcnMRioPM:&tbnh=80&tbnw=120&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dmiddle%2Bage%2Bpeople%2Bfor%2Becotourism%2Bin%2Bfrance%26hl%3Den

45. Sophie charges the same amount throughout the year (€100 per cottage per night). She is considering charging higher prices in peak season and offering discounts for returning visitors.

46. She knows that she may also need to adapt her overall marketing approach: she tends to market Les Maisonnettes as a product, but tourism and eco-tourism are better described as services. Source:philecotourism.files.wordpress.com

47. Competition • There is a surplus of holiday accommodation in the region. B&B and timeshares have been opening on a regular basis and Sophie is aware that she may have to lower her prices to maintain current occupancy rates. A local councillor recently told Sophie that this trend will further increase in the next few years. • Source:www.telegraph.co.uk

48. a • The global leisure company, Sanctuary, has recently opened a modern, self-contained holiday centre 30 minutes away from Les Maisonnettes. A key factor in the decision-making process for Sanctuary was the availability of cheap land. This facility offers activities for all ages, such as horse riding with qualified instructors, spas, health clubs, nightclubs, a sports bar and several restaurants. • Source:www.etawau.com ; www.coombemill.com; goa.park.hyatt.com ; www.nightclubnycguide.com; www.sirocco-london.com ; www.arundelhousehotels.co.uk

49. . From 2010, holidaymakers using the low-cost airline, Fly-Fare, will receive a 10 per cent discount on a Sanctuary holiday. Sanctuary’starget market is the cost-conscious family group looking for an all-inclusive activity-based holiday.Sanctuary’s success has been based on a standardized model operating worldwide. Unit costs are kept low due to economies of scale and their use of cheap imported produce. Employees are not paid well but enjoy a number of fringe benefits, such as free use of the facilities. However, there have been some customer complaints about the standard of service. • Source:www.istockphoto.com ;www.diversetraveller.com ; www.economicshelp;org racetalkblog.com ; www.directions.com.au

50. At the moment there is little, other than Sophie's emphasis on eco-tourism, that differentiates Les Maisonnettes from other B&Bs. Faced with increasing competition, Les Maisonnettes is finding it harder to attract new customers. Over the last two summers, Sophie has introduced activities to add value to a stay at Les Maisonnettes • www.europetravelhub.com