Sustainable tourism is not a separate practice, nor a particular tourist market. It is an approach that can be adopted by any tourism actor by integrating the principles of sustainable development into its strategic management and/or the offer it offers. Sustainable tourism is also the individual responsibility of travelers: in their behavior, daily actions and choice of service providers and/or destinations according to sustainability criteria.
The European Ecolabel
At the level of the Department of Gironde, the Department and Gironde Tourism support the deployment of the European Ecolabel for tourist accommodation as well as NF Environment standard for visiting sites.
Gironde Tourisme wishes to offer service providers comprehensive support.
This support will include:
- A free pre-diagnosis: introduction to a sustainable tourism approach, help in choosing support,
- An on-site diagnosis by a specialist consultant for Environmental Display, European Ecolabel or NF environment standard,
- Support and monitoring of a progress approach,
- Permanent monitoring and support through the provision of a dedicated technical assistant,
- Highlighting service providers on Gironde Tourisme’s social networks and digital tools.
This system is supported by the European Commission. A sign of excellence, guaranteeing a high level of requirements in terms of limiting the impact of products on the environment, while maintaining equivalent efficiency.
The only official European eco-label that can be used in all member countries of the European Union.
In France, the Ministry of the Environment has entrusted the support of French policy regarding the deployment of the European Ecolabel to ADEME and its delivery to AFNOR Certification
Who is he talking to ?
Tourist accommodation
- Hotels,
- Holiday villages,
- Seminar centers,
- Campsites
- Furnished tourist accommodation from 1 to 10 rooms and guest rooms
There are 67 criteria (22 are mandatory criteria and 45 are optional criteria) divided into 5 categories:
- General management
- Energy,
- Water,
- Waste and sewage,
- Other criteria
To be certified, a tourist accommodation must meet the mandatory criteria and optional criteria to obtain the number of points required for certification.
NF environment for visit sites
Who is he talking to ?
Tourist sites:
permanent site; establishment open to the public ; facility open to the public; closed or open visit area
- Of which tourism is an identified activity
- Equipped with a human visitor reception service
- Equipped with a ticketing system
- Proposing a transfer of knowledge or know-how
Civil and military heritage monuments, museums, eco-museums, interpretation and/or exhibition centres, archaeological or natural underground heritage, parks, gardens, arboretums, conservatories, zoos and aquariums, theme parks and amusement parks, wine estates for wine tourism activities, tourist offices for their visits.
There are 104 criteria (33 mandatory criteria and 71 optional criteria) divided into 7 categories:
- General Management,
- energy,
- water,
- waste,
- dangerous products,
- responsible purchasing,
- other services
To be certified, a visit site must meet the 33 mandatory criteria and 12 optional criteria (at least 1 per category).
Responsible wine tourism
Gironde Tourisme positions itself as a major player insupport for wine tourism providers, in the implementation and promotion of environmental approaches in their tourist activities.
The guide to eco-oeno gestures
This guide is intended for managers of wine tourism sites who wish to reduce the impact of their tourist activities on the environment and enhance the approach. Made up of eco-gestures applicable to wine tourism, from the simplest to the most successful, this brochure highlights concrete ideas for starting or deepening a sustainable tourism approach, and informs you about the various technical and/or financial support systems. possible to set up virtuous projects.