Easyjet rent a car, Directours.com, Boomerang, Air Littoral assistance joined the pioneers Grand Large Voyages and Air France at the international business center near the airport.
Grand Large Voyages lead by Janny Bousquet had been a pioneer by settling at the Arenas in Nice some years ago. The regional group of travel agencies affiliated to Sélectour (turnover: 110 million francs in 1999) has become bigger and has from now on an entire floor for itself in a building at the Arenas. And it has been followed in its way by some other groups thanks to the proximity of the international airport.
Easyjet rent a car settled there
First of all only air companies joined it at the beginning: Air France set up its managerial offices 5 or 6 years ago and has recently opened an agency. Delta also settled there with its partner Air France.
The movement boosted suddenly. Easyjet rent a car which did not want to settle at the airport because of the price, settled at the Arenas. The rent a car section of the 'low cost' air company Easyjet which sells most of the places on the Internet, opened at the beginning of July its offices. The cars are stocked on the third level of the parking. Directours.com also has joined the Arenas. The tour-operator created by Yves-Michel Labbé and recently bought by the British group Happy Travel, has set up a web call center on a 250m² area.
A reinforced competition
Directours (a 140 million franc turnover and 44 employees) already owns an efficient web site (www.directours.com) . Its new settlement in Nice for which 3 million francs were invested will allows it to develop the sale on line with a hot line. About 30 travel specialists have been or will be recruited. Some other travel firms settled at the Arenas: Air Littoral assistance which moved from the airport; Travel Connaissor.
And during August, another important tour-operator from Nice: Boomerang (36employees 40,000 clients, a 113 million franc turnover in 1999) will leave its head office in the Grimaldi district and will come and settle at the Arenas near the airport. This grouping together of travel firms will assure a better visibility but will provoke a more important competition