An Essential Tool for Analyzing Attendance at a Dual-Purpose Site

Lac de Mande, located in Cœur de Lozère, serves both as a drinking water reservoir and a tourist destination, welcoming visitors and hikers throughout the year. Various stakeholders, including the Community of Municipalities of Cœur de Lozère, the ARS (Regional Health Agency), and the State, are closely monitoring visitor trends to better understand site usage and anticipate future developments.

The decision to use a Kiomda mobile counting device allows for the collection of accurate visitor flow data while offering flexible positioning, particularly beneficial in this area where multiple access points exist.

"Lac de Mande is both a drinking water reservoir and a tourist site. The ARS, the State, and the Community of Municipalities are interested in monitoring visitor attendance. Since the site has multiple access points, the mobile counter is a great advantage for us."

Internal Monitoring, Accessible Online and via Mobile

The collected data is monitored internally, without specific communication to elected officials. The team in charge accesses the statistics via the Kiomda Reports mobile app and online interface, providing them with a simplified and regular way to track attendance trends.

"This data is used internally. We rely on both the mobile app and the online platform to track attendance trends."

Concrete Data to Adjust Site Development

One of the key benefits of visitor counting is aiding in decision-making for infrastructure development around the lake. For example, the data helps assess whether the installation of one or more small cabins could provide services such as a café or rest area for visitors.

"This data informs us and will help us decide whether we should install one or more cabins around the lake for visitors to find a café, for example. But we certainly don’t want to develop beyond what is necessary."

Thanks to real visitor flow data, local authorities can adapt their decisions accordingly, avoiding over-dimensioning infrastructure.

A Logistical Challenge Due to the Lack of Network Coverage

The only limitation identified is the lack of cellular network coverage on-site, requiring the team to manually retrieve the data by dismantling the counter.

"The system works very well, but it is a burden for us to bring the counter back to the office to access the data, as we have no mobile network coverage."

Since the counter is mounted on a pole, its removal and reinstallation at each data retrieval is a constraint, particularly during winter, when snow and extreme weather conditions can make access difficult.

"In recent days, we’ve had heavy snowfall, making it impossible to reach the counting site."

An Effective Solution Despite Technical Challenges

With a satisfaction rating of 8.5 to 9 out of 10, the Kiomda counter is perceived as a reliable and efficient tool, despite the logistical challenges posed by the site’s unique conditions

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