DISCOVER MULHOUSE WITH ITS 'GREETERS'

Mulhouse, an ideal starting point

At the crossroads between 3 areas, Mulhouse is an ideal starting point to explore the whole region: Strasbourg, Colmar in Alsace, Belfort, Montbéliard and Besançon in Franche-Comté, Basel in Switzerland
and Freiburg-in-Breisgau in Germany are all top destinations.

Now, the Tourist Office and Convention Bureau invites you to explore the Mulhouse area in a range of different ways, with something to suit every taste! Let's start with Mulhouse very own Mulhouse Alsace Greeters!

What is a Greeter?

The first greeters appeared in New York and there are now similar schemes all
over the world. Greeters are enthusiastic volunteers who are involved in local life and wish to show visitors around their town in a unique, authentic and
sociable way, depending on their areas of interest.

In April 2011, a team of Greeters was created in Mulhouse, which thus became
the 5th town in France to follow this trend, and the number 1 mediumsized
town (after Paris, Lyon, Nantes and Marseille).

Their 28 Greeters, aged 20 to 75, have now conducted over 200 tours. For at least 2 hours, often longer when close bonds are formed, they share the
Mulhouse area with visitors following a variety of themes such as contemporary
art, urban tours, sport, cycling, parks and gardens, culture, gastronomy…

This scheme is in line with the trend toward a less standardised form of tourism,
which is less profit-driven and more charity-oriented. It also aims to include the local population in the development of tourism, and bring them together through their local area.

Find a Greeter at:
www.greeters-mulhouse.com
(booking at least
48 hours in advance)

A modern, colourful, creative approach

The Tourist Office is a showcase for Mulhouse and its region. Therefore, its new premises must make the public want to explore the
area and consume more, as tourism is a major contributor to the local economy.

Each area has its own colour codes and atmospheres: streamlined and dynamic for the advice and information area, warm and cosy for the social area, modern and traditional for the shop.

A modern space is of course a space that includes new technologies in a carefully thought out way, as a complement to the human presence and paper literature. At the entrance, visitors see a screen, which displays a welcome message, the weather forecast, upcoming events and tips for exploring the area.

Elsewhere, there are two screens showing films and visuals, tailored to suit the target audience. Computers and iPads are available to visitors, so they can look at the future holiday website, as well as a variety of information on the Internet.

The reception area becomes a place for advice and information
This area has been completely redesigned in accordance with visitor
expectations: tourist literature is available on 6 display stands,
on a self-service basis.

The Tourist Office staff no longer greet visitors from behind a counter, but move around the area. This way, every visitor can choose to either find information by themselves or call upon the staff, with their advice and support providing real added value to help with their search.

A children’s area to turn “followers” into tourism “drivers”

Children are real opinion-leaders in the field of tourism. And when they are enjoying their holidays, their parents are more relaxed
and more inclined to diversify their activities in the area.

Therefore, with this area, our aim is to welcome them and speak to them using their own codes and their own language. Our young visitors will find toys and games that relate to the Mulhouse area, offered by our partners at the Zoological and Botanical Park, the museums of Mulhouse and the Le Bonhomme en Bois shop. A screen located at children’s eye level provides information and visuals specially designed for them, and a display stand contains tourist literature aimed at them.

A social area to feel like you’re “at a friend’s house”

The aim of this area is to invite the visitor to take a break, away
from the flow of tourist information: here, you can enjoy a coffee, surf the Internet and consult beautiful books and other guides on the Mulhouse area and Alsace, as well as the daily press.

There is also a screen showing films of the main events in the area, as well as photos.

Prolong your holiday with the Tourist Office

Finally, the Tourist Office has a real shop, a response to high demand among visitors. A true showcase for the Mulhouse area and
Alsace, this fully glass-fronted 40m2 space offers a wide range of
products for tourists and local people.

Traditional and original gifts from Alsace and Mulhouse, work by local designers, Christmas textiles and related products, household linen, tableware, pottery, beautiful books, guides, accessories, specialities…around 600 items are on sale here.