The Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Region hosted the first Interregional Meeting of the IndusTour project in Lyon from 26 to 28 November 2025, bringing together partners from Denmark, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Serbia, and Cyprus for three days of collaboration.
The programme opened with two thematic workshops dedicated to creating a shared definition of industrial tourism and exploring how active companies can become integral components of a region’s tourism offer.
Discussions centered on business motivations, minimum quality standards and practical tools to support companies wishing to welcome visitors. These were followed by the presentation of good practices from the Regional Council and the attractiveness agency of Haute-Loire and collective findings.
On the second day, the IndusTour delegation took part in France’s National Meetings of Company Visits organised every two years by Entreprise et Découverte, the French association of company visits, gaining insight into one of Europe’s most advanced national strategies for industrial tourism.
Through expert round tables and international case studies, participants examined how company visits can address corporate branding, workforce attraction, territorial identity and tourism diversification. Examples from across Europe demonstrated how structured governance, unified territorial branding, and strong public–private cooperation can elevate industrial tourism into a meaningful driver of regional development.
The meeting also included a Steering Group session where partners reviewed project progress, shared good practices, and assessed communication achievements from the first semester.
The programme concluded with a technical visit to the EDF Saint-Alban Saint-Maurice nuclear power plant, showcasing how even complex industrial sites can offer engaging educational experiences to the public.
The three-day event equipped the IndusTour consortium with shared methodologies, actionable insights, and renewed commitment to strengthening industrial tourism policies across Europe.
