“Être d’un commerce agréable”

• Main Authors: Cédric Calvignac, Ygal Fijalkow, Elsa Martin
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Éditions Touristiques Européennes 2014-06-01
• Series: Mondes du Tourisme
• Subjects: territorial ambassadors; Albi
• Online Access: http://journals.openedition.org/tourisme/129

For several years, many elected officials of tourist locations invite their citizens to take an active part in local tourism policies and activities. They encourage them to become territorial ambassadors. As ambassadors, the inhabitants have to represent their territory outside and to facilitate its discovery in situ. In doing so, they express their commitment to work for the emergence of an authentic intercultural exchange. The article addresses the nature of this specific type of embassy. Collecting accurate data on volunteers’ identity and activity, the authors analyse the issues raised by this participatory approach. They highlight the fact that joining a network of ambassadors may represent an opportunity for individuals, organizations and businesses to increase their visibility and to provide a customer “friendly” service (commercial embassy).