Contents of article "Business opportunities in the PO"
Reasons to set up business in the Pyrénées-Orientales
Location
Population growth
Access
Reasons to set up business in the Pyrénées-Orientales
Location
The Languedoc-Roussillon region is in a prime location in the very heart of Europe made up of 5 counties or ‘départements’:l’ Aude, la Gard, l’Hérault, la Lozère, and of course les Pyrénées-Orientales
The area’s temperate climate and laid-back lifestyle attract people from all over the world, both tourists and ‘relocators’, and this, in turn, is beginning to attract multinational companies as well as smaller businesses. Earlier retirement, EU expansion, and cheaper and easier travel within Europe and the rest of the world all mean that more and more people are looking to the south of France, and particularly the Languedoc-Roussillon (where prices are still relatively cheap compared to Nice and Saint Tropez,) as both a place to live and to buy holiday property.
Population growth
The population growth in Languedoc-Roussillon is the highest in France (+ 0.9% per annum)
due to:
an ever growing service sector,
the installation in the region of several new ‘hi-tech- companies (solar energy, IT )
an increase in further and higher education opportunities
rapid growth in the tourist industry
Access
The excellent road and rail links, along with a choice of airlines and airports and sea potential, make access very easy for both people and freight transport.
Motorway Network
The Languedoc Roussillon region boasts four motorways:
- Motorway A9, crossing the Languedoc-Roussillon from Rhône Valley to Spain.
- Motorway A61, to Toulouse and Bordeaux.
- Motorway A54, to Marseilles and Italy.
- Motorway A75, direct link to Northern France and Northern Europe.
Rail Network
- High speed link between Montpellier, Barcelona and Toulouse. (to be completed in 2005/2006) 50 mins from Perpignan to Barcelona (and eventually Madrid)
- European destinations: London, Frankfurt, Milan, Paris.......
(Paris - Mediterranean - only 4 hours)
Air network
Six international airports -
Toulouse, Montpellier, Carcassonne and Perpignan in France, along with Barcelona and Girona just over the border in Catalan Spain..
Regional freight airports:
- Montpellier-Méditerranée
- Nîmes-Arles-Camargue
- Perpignan Rivesaltes
