Hello Corentin, can you please introduce yourself?
Corentin Richard: Yes, my name is Corentin, and I'm 31 years old. My mom's from Brittany, my dad 's from Auvergne and my grandparents and aunts and uncles all live in the provinces. We're the first Parisians in the family! I studied engineering but decided to change my life. I wanted to contribute to the transformation of the travel and tourism industry. That's why I launched La Trace a year ago, to try and change the way people think and travel.
"I want to contribute to the transformation of travel and tourism".
Could you tell me a little about La Trace, please?
Corentin: La Trace is a committed travel agency. Our goal is to transform medium- and long-distance travel, where people often take planes or cars, into shorter-distance travel. We want to send people closer to home and accompany them so that they can go on vacation as carbon-free as possible.
How did you come up with the idea of creating La Trace?
Corentin: I've spent my entire career in application development, with clients such as multinationals, banks, insurance companies and so on. I really enjoyed my work, but I didn't feel I was having a real impact on society. So I wanted to start something new. Cycling came naturally because I've been a cyclist for a long time, and in 2017 I took part in the Tour de France des fermes d'avenir by bike. I really got a taste for bike travel from there.
"We see an ecological motivation among our customers, who are looking to change their lifestyle and consumption habits to be more environmentally friendly."
What are the different options you offer?
Corentin: La Trace has several offerings. We have a classic travel agency offer where we take care of all the organization for our customers: hotel reservations, train tickets, and bike rentals.
We also have an offer called "La Trace Libre", at 5 euros for a weekend, 10 euros for a week, where we provide all the necessary information for customers to organize their trip independently. Finally, we have a free offer where anyone can access the GPX files of our routes.
Who is your main target audience?
Corentin: Our main target is people with little or no experience of bicycle travel, often everyday cyclists who want to try the adventure for the first time. These people are looking for advice and reassurance to take the plunge. There's also an ecological motivation among our customers, who are looking to change their lifestyle and consumption habits to be more respectful of the environment.
"We test all our itineraries to ensure that they are safe and practical to cycle on".
How do you support them in terms of safety and itineraries?
Corentin: We support them in several ways. First, by providing them with advice based on our experience. Secondly, by collaborating with experts on specific topics, such as family cycling. Finally, we recognize all our routes, which means we test them ourselves to guarantee their safety and practicality, especially for families.
Why did you start out in Brittany?
Corentin: Brittany is my mom's home region, and I love it very much. Cycling facilities there are very advantageous and diversified.
Also, when organizing trips for beginners and families, it's crucial to have accommodation options close by, and Brittany lends itself perfectly to this.
Today, we have 200 hotel partners in Brittany, enabling us to meet our customers' needs.
"France has what it takes to become the world's leading destination for cycle tourism".
Why do you think cycling is a good way to travel?
Corentin: Cycling enables active meditation, a very pleasant state of flow. You can see the landscape change and make faster progress than on foot, while remaining close to the environment. And let's not deny it, cycling also helps you burn calories, which is a nice bonus, especially when you're in the mood to eat well!
How do you see bike tourism evolving in the years to come?
Corentin: I'm convinced that bike tourism will continue to grow. The figures show growth of over 20% a year. France has everything it takes to become the world's leading destination for cycle tourism. We need to make cycling sexy and desirable, and I'm sure this trend will accelerate in the years to come.
And if you had to describe bicycle travel in three words?
Corentin: Meditation, letting go, maieutics.
