Economy of the Moors
The Landes are a department at the beginning of rural tradition.
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the tourism largely developed and has a rate of industrial employment higher than the average of Aquitaine and the average of France.
Of course, natural principal assets of the department of the Moors (wood, presence of water, space, oceanic climate…) allowed to develop natural dies major:
- agro-alimentary ,
corn especially, vine (Vineyard of Tursan, Armagnac)
- industries of the wood (pine), paper mill (e.g.: Paper mills of Gascogne to Mimizan).
- hydrotherapy …
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extraction of oil with Parentis-in-Born
- military base
Agriculture
the Agriculture in figures 1st rank in France for the Corn, the Foie gras, the Carrot, the Asparagus, the Trout and of course… the Forest.
Industry
- key figures
- employment
Figures of industry
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The industry of the sliding sports
the industry of the sliding sports in the Moors is localized on the southern part and more particularly in the " Surfing valley" between Capbreton, Hossegor and Seignosse.
It is about a very recent activity, with very high growth rate and which, today, represents an important economic weight and a dynamism.
1) geographical Framework and history
A) the waves The swell of the penetrating North Atlantic in the the Bay of Biscay, produces all the year a system of powerful waves and changeantes which has little equivalent in the world.
b) the surfers
The Californian and French precursors appeared on the beaches of Biarritz at the end of the Fifties.
But it is thanks to the surfers from Australia as from 1972, that the practice of surfing will develop on the Aquitanian coast and especially on the southern part of the Moors (where is today the seat of the French federation of Surfing).
c) Australian heads of bridge
From 1982, three " majors" Australian of this activity (in the historical order: Rip Curl, Quicksilver, Billabong) gradually will be established in the " surfing valley". They will initially diffuse their productions in France then in Europe. Fashion - Californian especially - and the industry of the " surfwear" are launched. Moreover today, the Rip Curl, a tournament between the 40 best surfers juniors and adults, holds place on the beaches of Hossegor.
2) a die with whole share
The industry of the sliding sports in the south of the Moors consists of a multitude of very different companies. But they convey the same image, same the " life style".
Around the three " majors" are created, revolved, grow or disappear a multitude from SME or microphone-companies.
a) the material of surfing
This initial core of this die represents nothing any more but one minor part even secondaire.
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the boards of surfing are locally and artisanalement manufactured in small workshops more or less related to the " majors". Indeed, each surfer wants to adapt his board to his morphology, his level, his subjectivity and the " shaper" must satisfy its waitings.
- the other products (combinations, covers, bags…) are manufactured in Asia by the " majors" mainly.
b) vestimentary lines
In the beginning, clothing of surfing maintained a direct link with the practice this sport (since the origin the currency of a " major" proclaim " made by surfers for surfers").
Today, the " surwear" conceives and markets, using a strong marketing, autonomous concepts being based on sports leisures as well urban as nautical or mountain (a French manufacturer of ski was repurchased by a " major" in 2004).
Also, 90% of the purchasers of this " sportwear" are not surfers and sometimes even are not or more of the sportsmen.
c) related activities
This industrial and commercial dynamics made it possible other activities to be created in this zone: vestimentary accessories (glasses, watches, travel goods shop…), newspapers, photography, travel agencies, Internet sites, weather… without counting the expansion of shops selling these products (" Hossegor, Mecque of Surfwear").
In addition, each year these companies jointly organize a great annual stock sale which in one weekend drains 150.000 to 200.000 purchasers.
d) sales turnover and employment
This die (385 companies) realized in 2005 in Aquitaine 1,085 billion € sales turnover with a growth of 27% on a an.
One can estimate that the moors carry out the 2/3 of this result.
Because of very fast evolution of the companies (in particular the very small ones), seasonal employment, expansion and strategy of the " majors" , it is difficult to fix the number of employment induced by this filière.
On 3000 employment in Aquitaine, the Moors account for approximately the 2/3 of these manpower with levels of remuneration similar to those practiced by the companies of the area.
It is about a young and increasingly graduate labor. It is sometimes resulting from the " recyclage" sportsmen known in all the sporting mediums.
3) Perpectives
The logic of growth, the interactions which are created there make that this area becomes very gravitational for many companies of the " sportwear" or other activities. Thus companies established elsewhere in France (Northern, Paris, Toulouse, Marseilles…) or in Europe (RU, Norway…)move in the south of the Moors.
In the same way, for a growing number of American companies, Australian, or of Asia, to settle in this " surfing valley" becomes currently impossible to circumvent.
Lastly, the example of the " surfwear" has just given rise to a new, regionalistic and more restricted die for the moment: the " corridawear" or " torowear".
Services
Tourism
See also: Tourism in the Moors
Tourism is a major resource of the department.
It concentrates very mainly on the coastal areas (Mimizan, Hossegor, Capbreton, Seignosse, Biscarrosse…) where the fame of the conditions of Surf made the round the world tour (several tests per annum). One should not either forget to quote the “gastronomical” Tourisme, because the Moors are famous culinairement through the Foie gras, of the Magret S, the Poulet S of Saint-Sever.
Finally thermal tourism attracts many curists with the stations of Dax, Saint-Paul-the-Dax, Saubusse-the-Baths, Préchacq-the-Baths or Eugenie-the-Baths. The economy of the town of Dax rests primarily on the Thermalisme , which gets to him most of its employment and of its richness. This activity enables him to appear among the richest landaises communes and most prosperous. The city receives 55 000 curists, attracted per annum by the reputation of the station in the fields of phlebology, the Gynecology and the Rhumatologie. This multitude makes of it the first thermal spa of France, in front of Vichy, Vittel and others.
The service sector is best represented in Dax. Hydrotherapy, the geographical location (in the middle of the Moors, near to the beaches, the Basque Country and the Spain), and the festivals estival (August and September) generated the creation of a great number of hotel establishments and restoration. The trade profits from this aubaine, and the shops (clothing, gastronomy,…) are numerous in the pedestrian sector.
After drops in number of visits in 2003 following the catastrophe of Prestige, the year 2004 was an excellent surprise for tourism landais: the department appeared in the first place of the estival destinations.
Organizations
Companies
Turboméca is the world leader of the turbines of helicopter.- Maïsadour, Haut-Mauco, co-operative agro-alimentary group. Its main activities: collect cereals, agro-supply, animal feeds, vegetable livestock productions, productions and seeds.
- Labeyrie, foie gras, salmon, head office and factory with Saint-Geours-with-Maremne
- Autobar Packaging France, packing, plastics with Soustons (Mount of Marsan)
Infrastructures
- A63
Internal bonds
- List of the companies of the Moors
- economy of Aquitaine
External bonds
to see- * General advice of the Moors
- cci of the Moors
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