Workshop on Eco-labeling in Latin America, Brazil, 19 & 20 august 2010 Case-study: sustainable tourism in France Case-study: sustainable tourism in France.

Workshop on Eco-labeling in Latin America, Brazil, 19 & 20 august 2010

Case-study: Case-study: sustainable sustainable

tourism in Francetourism in France

Sabine Nascinguerra

France

Workshop on Eco-labeling in Latin America, Brazil, 19 & 20 august 20102

Rendez-vous en FranceRendez-vous en France

Tourism in Europe and especially in France is a very important activity :

for the French who choose to spend their holidays « at home »,for foreigners who come to visit and stay

Thus, since the 1990s, France became the first tourist destination in the world and it still was in 2009 :

Range Country International Tourist Arrival

1 France 81,7 million

2 Spain 60,3 million

3 USA 55,0 million

4 China 54,7 million

42 Brazil 5,0 million

Source : UNWTO World Tourism Barometer

Workshop on Eco-labeling in Latin America, Brazil, 19 & 20 august 20103

Tourism in FranceTourism in France

With 17 300 hotels, offering 612 500 rooms, 7 500 campsites, representing 707 300 places

France has a very good accomodation capacity

But also a huge impact on the environment :

These impacts are aggravated by theirseasonal occurrence (summer and school holidays) spatial concentration (coast, mountain, some cities, a few large sites).

Workshop on Eco-labeling in Latin America, Brazil, 19 & 20 august 20104

Luckily, attitudes are changing !Luckily, attitudes are changing !

Tourists start looking for more sustainable vacations, especially North-Europeans

Hotel and camping owners start feeling concerned about environmental issues

Special tourist-guides dedicated to sustainable tourism in France have been published since 2008 :

Workshop on Eco-labeling in Latin America, Brazil, 19 & 20 august 20105

French and international Eco-labels

The interest in sustainable tourism is steadily growing.

That’s the reason why more and more « Eco-labels » have been appearing in France :

Workshop on Eco-labeling in Latin America, Brazil, 19 & 20 august 20106

But too many labels bring confusion …But too many labels bring confusion …

Most of the tourists don’t know the meanings of local labels

According to each label, the environmental criteria are more or less strict, and not always verified by an independent organization

That’s why a single European Ecolabel helps to make environmental certification :

more crediblemore comprehensible

“The flower”-label concerns several products and 2 services : it is more and more present in the European consumers life

easy to remember !

Workshop on Eco-labeling in Latin America, Brazil, 19 & 20 august 20107

EU-ecolabel for tourist-accomodation : a slow EU-ecolabel for tourist-accomodation : a slow beginning, but growing fast!beginning, but growing fast!

2003 : European Ecolabel for tourist accommodation service

2005 : European Ecolabel for campsite service

From 2003 to 2005 : 0 certification in France

2006 : 1st certification of a little hotel “Les Orangeries”

2008 : first french certification for a big campsite : “Le Col Vert” at the Atlantic-coast

In 2010 : 392 European tourist accommodations and 68 campsites are certified with “the Flower”, including 80 sites in France (2nd place after Italy with 200 certified sites)and 30 sites in Switzerland : non-EU country using “The Flower”

Workshop on Eco-labeling in Latin America, Brazil, 19 & 20 august 2010

Specific economic, social and

environmental benefits :

some examples

Workshop on Eco-labeling in Latin America, Brazil, 19 & 20 august 20109

Consumptions and waste production in hotels with and without ecolabel :

Average 3 star hotel ***

/overnight stay

3 star hotel with ecolabel***

/overnight stay

Energy 83.5 kWh 34.2 kWh

(- 60 %)

Water 424 l 210 l

(- 50 %)

Waste 2 kg 0,8 kg

(- 60 %)

Workshop on Eco-labeling in Latin America, Brazil, 19 & 20 august 201010

Hotel Bastide de CalalouHotel Bastide de CalalouProvence : descriptionProvence : description

42-room hotel, owned by a belgian couple

Special environment : located on the territory of the Natural Regional Park of the Verdon, in a protected area

Certified “Hôtel au naturel” since 2006

Certified « The flower » since July 2009

Workshop on Eco-labeling in Latin America, Brazil, 19 & 20 august 201011

Economic benefits :Reduced their water-consumption by 50 % by installing low-flow shower heads and aerators on taps Costs : 100 €Benefits : 1500 € during the first 6 month

Environmental benefits :Improved his energy-efficiency by

replacing all standard light-bulbs by compact fluorescent lamps or LEDsincreasing the poor insulation under the roof of the old building

Reduces waste by removing all disposal toiletries (not refillable soap…) and all single dose packages for food services

Social advantage :Strengthen team spirit of the whole staff

Hotel Bastide de Calalou : Hotel Bastide de Calalou : economic, social and environmental benefitseconomic, social and environmental benefits

Workshop on Eco-labeling in Latin America, Brazil, 19 & 20 august 201012

Camping « La Rivière »Camping « La Rivière »La Vézère-Valley, south-ouest FranceLa Vézère-Valley, south-ouest France

120 place camp site with a little hotel, managed by the Dalbavie family (parents and 2 daughters)

Special environment : located in the prehistoric site of the Vézère valley : UNESCO World Heritage since 1979

Newly certified EU-ecolabel in june 2010

Workshop on Eco-labeling in Latin America, Brazil, 19 & 20 august 201013

Camping « La Rivière »Camping « La Rivière »economic, social and environmental benefitseconomic, social and environmental benefits

Environmental benefits :Rainwater-recycling and solar water heating system were already in place, as well as an electric carReduction of disinfectants as much as possibleSugar single dose at the café and for breakfast were banned and replaced by a distributor

Economic benefits :The owners did not specially look for economic benefits, but they hope that “being the first Ecolabel camp site of the department” will increase their notoriety

Social advantage :Strengthen the role of the daugthers (they implemented most of the ecolabel criteria) in the family business« La Rivière » is now at the origine of a new collectif operation : 10 other local camp sites decided to go together for « the Flower » in 2010/2011 !

Workshop on Eco-labeling in Latin America, Brazil, 19 & 20 august 201014

The « welcom kit » for mobil home rentals :before and after eco-labelling

Toilet paper + garbage bag

Sponge

Recyclable Waste

separation bag

Coffee filter

Matches

Little soap

Shampoo

Disinfectant

Workshop on Eco-labeling in Latin America, Brazil, 19 & 20 august 201015

Hôtel « Ville d’hiver »Atlantic coast, bay of Arcachon

Newly constructed 12-room hotel with upscale restaurant, massage, beauty salon, piscine, owned by the chef and his wife

Special environment : old quarter of the town of Arcachon with villas of the 19th century ,

Certified in january 2010

Workshop on Eco-labeling in Latin America, Brazil, 19 & 20 august 201016

Hôtel Ville d’Hiver: Hôtel Ville d’Hiver: environmental and other benefitsenvironmental and other benefits

Environmental benefits :All ecolabel criteria were taken into account during construction in 2008/09 :

Rainwater is collected in a 10 m3 reserve and recycled for watering the plantsCarpets and indoor paintings are eco-friendly and come from ISO14001 certified suppliers Bicycles are offered to guests for non-motorized visitsAn automatic system turns off the air conditioning and heating of rooms when windows are open About 10 organic grown wines are on the wine list

Economic benefits :Eco-conditionality : the local government awarded a grant after verifying that environmental criteria were met during the construction of the building From the beginning, water and energy costs will be about 50 % lower than in “common” hotels

Social advantage :Team improvement : the young staff gets more involved and is enthousiastic about working in a company that cares about environmental issuesThe waiter told me that she was more serious about separating recyclable waste… at home !

Workshop on Eco-labeling in Latin America, Brazil, 19 & 20 august 201017

Ecolabel can also bring some unexpected marketing opportunities with new partners