Manifesto for sustainable tourism in Nouvelle-Aquitaine

By controlling the development of its coastline, preserving its biodiversity and building what is now the largest forest in Western Europe, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, aware of the fragility of this heritage, has shown that it is possible to reconcile economic development with respect for the environment, innovation and the enhancement of ancestral know-how, openness to the world and the sharing of traditions. The Region is now strengthening this historic commitment and is committed, in particular through its Neo Terra roadmap, to making sustainable development its barometer for the years to come.

The Tourism Industry, affected by a crisis of unprecedented proportions, has also shown resilience and adapted hastily, accelerating its transition to meet posed challenges. 

The climate emergency compels us to go further. We, the Nouvelle-Aquitaine Tourism Board, together with our partners, wish to promote the ambition of a sustainable and inclusive tourism, concerned with people and the living.

To achieve this, first of all, we wish to be exemplary: trust, benevolence, dialogue and collective intelligence are the conditions that will enable us to question and reinvent ourselves.

Our desire to unite all the driving forces of our destinations is at the heart of our project. We make partnerships the preferred framework for our actions because we are convinced that they provide a space conducive to the definition and achievement of common objectives, and that they facilitate innovation and adaptation. To be more effective, we pool our efforts and resources.

We also believe in the need to promote stakeholders committed to sustainability and good practice. We are committed to helping travellers discover the many positive impact tourism experiences available in Nouvelle-Aquitaine, in line with their quest for meaning and new expectations.

It is up to us to surprise them and guide them towards unexpected and renewed destinations and experiences. We want to encourage encounters with the people who contribute daily, with their work, their talent, their passion, and their sense of hospitality, to making our region unique. We will also make sure that visitors are aware of the fragility of this common heritage and the need to preserve it.

Our aim is to encourage the people of Nouvelle-Aquitaine to discover the riches of their own region. We are convinced that a change of scenery and adventure are often within reach, and that the inhabitants of a territory must be its first ambassadors. More generally, we invite all travellers, from here and elsewhere, to come and meet us in Nouvelle-Aquitaine, because we believe in tourism as a creator of encounters, a vector of dialogue and mutual understanding, beyond cultural and linguistic differences. We put our experience at the service of structuring and promoting quality experiences to discover Nouvelle-Aquitaine in a new way.

With the Tourism stakeholders of Nouvelle-Aquitaine, we share the conviction that our activity must contribute to shaping the society we want to leave to our children. Whether you are committed to highlighting our inland destinations, whether you are an operator in our cities wishing to rethink your offer to make it more sustainable, or whether you are a professional in our coastal areas seeking diversification and a better distribution of tourist flows in time and space, we are by your side to accompany you in your transitions.

Each and every one of us has a decisive role to play in this collective ambition for tourism to serve the sustainable and equitable development of our territories, generating emotions for visitors, exchanges with local populations, opportunities for our professionals and new solidarities.

Let us combine our energy around sustainable tourism in Nouvelle-Aquitaine!