An article by Maud, added on 05 October 2021 4 min. reading
From September 27 to 29, we participated in the Universities of Sustainable Tourism in Le Havre. Feedback on this event ...
Each year, ATD (Sustainable Tourism Actors) organizes its universities in a different city. It was Le Havre's turn to host this major event for tourism professionals.
Enriching workshops
The program for the first day was quite rich: speeches, round tables, workshops etc. We attended the following workshops:
- Adapting to crises and preserving people in tourism professions. Topical issue in these troubled times for employment in the tourism sector.
- Major sporting events: what impact over time? This conference allowed Gérard Rougier of the French Golf Federation to show the commitment of this sport in respectful of the environment. A speech that marked us because we have several responsible golf courses in our territory.
- What transformations for tourism in metropolitan areas? The metropolises of Bordeaux, Lyon and Rouen have been able to show the actions carried out on their territory in recent years: greeters, associations such as Unisoap, guided tours focused on sustainability, highlighting local producers, etc.
The opportunity to recall that sustainable tourism is not just rural tourism. Sustainability has its place in urbanized spaces such as ours.
To finish beautifully…
For the second day, the organizers (ATD, Seine-Maritime Attractiveness, Normandy Tourism) have concocted exciting educational tours for us. We followed the one on responsible tourism in Seine-Maritime. This day was devoted to the discovery of the village of Etretat and its cliffs. How to welcome more and more tourists without destroying the landscapes and alienating the population?
We then discovered the abbey of Valasse, a former Cistercian establishment now hosting seminars, weddings, coworking spaces. How is it sustainable? Restoring a listed monument, reviving it and integrating the environment responds to the social, environmental and economic challenges of sustainable development.
The educational tour ended at François-Xavier Craquelin's Coudreaux farm, famous for its cider beef. His farm represents the commitment of many French farmers who respect the land and the rhythm of the seasons. In addition, he innovates by creating original products like arranged calva.
What to remember from these UTDs?
Discover good practices and meet committed professionals to inspire us for our sustainable strategy.
The Tourist Office has been a member of the Sustainable Tourism Actors only this year. This recent membership enhances the much older commitment of the Office's teams. These actions were mainly carried out internally or could not go beyond the framework of communication plans on initiatives already present in our territory.
The UTDs have made it possible to sensitize tourism professionals from other regions of France to know the territory and its sustainable aspect. A major challenge because when we think of the Grand Roissy, we do not imagine that it is such a pool of responsible players. We have some nuggets to highlight in our five municipalities as well as in the Roissy Pays de France agglomeration.
Vallée Verte, Espace Tabuteau, Oise Pays de France Natural Park, Canal de l'Ourcq, committed hoteliers, numerous local producers… The list goes on!
See you next year in Montpellier for the next Universities!
- Are you a professional focused on sustainable development? You wish to be highlighted by the Office, contact us. !
