In this new interview, we talk to an adventure professional who switched from motoring, to leisure and tourism and managing a canyoning park in France. His management has earned him the success of the Canyoning Park, which has an excellent rating on Google and the Travellers’ Choice 2024 award from Tripadvisor. He talks to us about the past, present and future of adventure tourism in general and the French canyoning park in particular.
Amusement Logic: You worked in the automotive industry, in particular at Peugeot. What brought you to the leisure and tourism sector?
Nicolas Perpigna: I worked for almost 10 years in the automotive industry, starting as an apprentice salesman, then salesman to private individuals, salesman to companies, assistant sales manager and sales manager. It was my first and long experience in the professional world. My in-laws were already in the leisure business, running a mini-golf course right next to the canyoning park. When the park was sold, the former owner contacted my in-laws and I decided to stop working for Peugeot and take over the canyoning park.
A.L.: The Canyoning Park in Argelès-sur-Mer has hosted events such as the Ludicanyon. How does this type of event strengthen the connection with the community and the promotion of the sport?
N.P.: A few years ago, we organised the Ludicanyon in the park to show that canyoning can be accessible to as many people as possible and to democratise the sport. The sport of canyoning is a very specific niche, but providing access to car parks, changing rooms, showers, not having to walk to the activity and practising it just 3 minutes from your holiday destination makes it more accessible.
A.L.: In addition to Canyoning Park, you also run other companies, such as Paradise Loisirs. What motivated you to diversify your business activities with another adventure park?
N.P.: We created an outdoor sports leisure centre (bungee jumping, adventure tours, water jumps, mini golf, paintball, gel blaster, etc.) to offer a complete package to our customers and provide them with a family-friendly place where all family members can have fun together or on their own. We offer packages that keep them busy for a whole week.
A.L.: Adventure tourism is booming. From your point of view, how has customer demand changed in recent years and how do you adapt to these trends?
N.P.: The demand for adventure tourism skyrocketed after COVID-19. We sensed the beginnings of this evolution over several years and adapted our way of receiving clients with pre-scheduled appointments. This has enabled us to better manage the flow of customers throughout the day and to optimise the way we receive them. Their experience is privileged because they are greeted by name and, during their time in the park, the number of participants is limited, hence the feeling of being privileged.
A.L.: The Argelès-sur-Mer canyoning park has been in operation since 2002. As for the future, what are your plans for expansion or improvement?
N.P.: Yes, the canyoning park has been in operation since 2002. We have plans for expansion and, why not, for an indoor activity in the near future. Other projects are being studied, such as a canyoning park for children.
A.L.: How do you manage the day-to-day running of the Canyoning Park, from the logistics of the activities to the interaction with the customers?
N.P.: We are a family company and we want to be very close to our customers. We constantly strive to satisfy them and we want their visits to our parks to be exceptional. We have staff who are committed to customer satisfaction and have a copy of every comment we receive, so that they understand the importance of the relationship we are able to build with our customers. The uniqueness of our business is that all our customers are treated on a first-name basis, but we always treat them with respect. In terms of logistics, our maintenance teams take care of the care and compliance of the park, and we have an administrative unit that manages the flow of customer bookings, community management and human resources (planning, work contracts, etc.).
A.L.: What type of public tends to visit the Canyoning Park in Argelès-sur-Mer and have you noticed any changes in demographics or customer expectations over the years?
N.P.: Today we mainly welcome 2 types of customers: collective customers (sports clubs, sports associations, works councils, team-building groups, holiday camps, teenage clubs); and holidaymakers from the Argeles campsites.
We observed a significant change after COVID-19, namely that the clients had not practiced sport for almost 2 years and when they returned to the activities there was a noticeable difference in their physical capacity.
A.L.: Safety is fundamental in adventure activities such as canyoning. What protocols do you apply to ensure the safety of participants and how have you managed to maintain a solid track record in this regard?
N.P.: I always say at conferences that our main job is not the leisure activities, but the safety of our clients, and that makes a lot of people laugh. We have established a strict operating and accessibility protocol that our staff follow to the letter. Training of our staff is essential, as is informing customers before they take part in the activity. Finally, orientation in the canyon by the operators is as precise as possible. Exercises are carried out every 15 days to check procedures and maintain a constant level of performance.
A.L.: What feedback do you receive from visitors to the canyoning park and how do you use it to improve the canyoning experience?
N.P.: As I said before, the customer experience is of the utmost importance to us and we analyse every single comment. We are delighted to have an excellent 4.7 star rating on Google and to have received the Travellers’ Choice 2024 award from Tripadvisor. We talk a lot with our guests when they leave the park to directly analyse their feedback and maintain our level of performance.
A.L.: How do you see the evolution of adventure tourism in the coming years and what role will the Canyoning Park of Argelès-sur-Mer play?
N.P.: We believe that adventure tourism has a very good future ahead of it. Customers are looking for more and more thrills, but always in a safe environment, and what better than an activity in an artificial environment to control all movements?
I believe that the current role of the canyoning park is the same as that of the first climbing gyms in the 1980s, in other words, to make an activity reserved for the elite accessible to as many people as possible. The Canyoning Park is a forerunner and will continue to develop in the years to come.
