France: A Strong Background in Sustainable Development and Tourism
Paris pledge for action
Paris Pledge for Action, is a call to action and an inclusive initiative by the French Presidency of COP21 that invites all businesses, regions, cities, and investors to join and vow to act on the outcomes of the Paris UN Climate Change Agreement. It brings together hundreds of non-state actors from across the globe in support of Paris Agreement on climate change.
As French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius, President of COP 21, said: "Non-state actor leadership is key to the success of COP21 and to the effective transition to a low-emissions and climate-resilient future. The world needs you to step up and rise to the challenges of climate change and sustainable development. This is why I strongly encourage you to take bold actions and make ambitious commitments, both individually and collectively, register them on NAZCA, and sign on to the Paris Pledge for Action, to make sure the commitments made in Paris by governments are achieved or even exceeded." (Source: United Nations, framework action for climate change)
National Tourism Forum (2014)
Considering that France is the first tourist destination in the world with 83 million visitors per year, the aim of this forum was to develop a program of actions to make France a destination for the future, with the commitment for making tourism a more powerful lever for growth, employment and development of the territories.
Five centers of excellence in tourism had been established. These poles should allow to renew and adapt French tourism to the changing expectations of tourists on key themes: oenotourism, ecotourism, mountains in summer, know-how tourism, and nocturnal tourism.
Some interesting initiatives
-The engagement of the Convention and Visitors Bureau in Paris:
The city of Paris promotes sustainable initiatives for a more environment-friendly stay. Key actions include the Eco-responsible accommodation projectwhich aims to providetourist accommodation establishments with a commitment to sustainable development. More and more hotels are working to obtain a label, certification or membership of a charter to make visitors aware of their commitment to sustainability: reducing water and energy use, responsible sourcing, recycling waste, etc.
Another initiative involves green modes of transport, in order to get to and around in Paris without polluting the environment.
-The engagement of Midi Pyrénées-Languedoc Roussillon
This is the first region which had created a specific program of actions dedicated to sustainable development: The “Agenda 21”with the intention to favor the creation of project in an economically, socially and environmentally responsive way for the improvement of eco-efficiency.
-Initiatives from Provence Alpes Côtes d’Azur Region
Since 2007, this region has decided to establish a European network of regions for sustainable and competitive tourism called NECSTouR (Network of European Sustainable and Competitive Tourism Regions). The Regional Council wanted to make the region a reference in sustainable tourism through its regional plan for tourism development 2012-2016.
One of the main objectives consists of promoting environmental education through information campaigns and environmental awareness and sustainable tourism to professionals and tourists.
- The engagement of overseas territories
The Ministry of Overseas has set up a "green passport" to educate tourists to biodiversity that exists in these departments and make it an asset for sustainable tourism. This approach is an adaptation of "green passport ", to sensitize tourists to the impact of tourism on biodiversity and the environment.
The Reunion Island launched a challenge to educate young students in the tourism sector. It aims to bring them a territorial prospective approach of tourism in order to benefit for the economic future of the island.
