How to combine tourism and environmental conservation? Some offer travelers eco-gites, fair trade tourism, others solidarity tourism. Find in this folder these various solutions, presented by the organizers themselves, validated by the words of tourists who have experienced them.
Each year, volunteers devote a week of their leave to protecting the environment. This cheap labour allows the municipalities to maintain certain sites without additional expenses.
The 10th edition of the International Tourism Fair will take place until Sunday in Saint Jacques de la Lande. Nearly 500 exhibitors are present. The smallest stand is that of solidarity tourism. Joël Rezé offers three destinations: Mali, Burkina Faso and Senegal to live Africa on a daily basis.
Free lodging and board, in exchange for a few hours of work a day: it is a solidarity holiday formula that seduces more and more travelers around the world. Thanks to internet sites like "HelpX", tourists and their hosts meet in a few clicks. Example in Saint Martin d'Oydes in Ariège where a young Catalan couple came to lend a hand these days to a goat milk producer.
The French Gîtes Federation wants to be part of a citizens' initiative. Thanks to eco-cottages it is possible to develop a tourism combining pleasure and responsibility.
A "solidarity" travel agency prepares a group for a departure in Benin for a month. Interview with Isabelle WILLET, consultant, Aurélien SEUX, travel agency "Double sens", Florent MARCOUX, organization "Aide et action"
Testimonies of French tourists who came to Mongolia to discover the great spaces and to be in contact with the local population in a responsible approach. Interview of a nomad "These tourists pay attention to everything, they are well educated and throw nothing into nature". Interview with Joel RAUZY, organizer of this trip
Testimonies of a couple who went to Tanzania with Tamadi, an association labeled "Fair tourism and solidarity". They evoke memories of enriching meetings with the local population by leafing through a photo album. "The money we give at least we know where it goes".