The Responsible Tourism Guide from Guide du Routard – 2012 Edition

For its fifth edition, benefiting once again from the expertise of its partner Voyages-sncf.com as well as the support of ADEME and Comité 21, The 2012 Responsible Tourism Guide offers fresh recommendations in France. From guest rooms and tree houses to eco-friendly campsites and eco-labelled hotels, there’s something for every style and budget.

Bookstore release date: 14 March 2012
Price: €10.05

The new edition of the Routard Collection’s Responsible Tourism Guide focuses on responsible tourist initiatives that have been personally selected by Routard employees during their travels through the various regions of France, with the stated aim of sharing travellers’ commitment to protecting the planet. The guide also presents the 2011 nominees and winners of the Responsible Tourism Awards organized by Voyages-sncf.com in cooperation with Routard.com and Mondial Assistance. These are exemplary, innovative suggestions that prove the commitment of the various participants in the tourism industry to helping protect the environment, regardless of their specialty and size.

The first part of the guide presents an overview of responsible tourism as well as a selection of websites and events dedicated to it. It also includes the growing number of tour operators, organizations and other entities that work to promote this committed way of travelling and are members of ATES (an organization promoting fair, ethical tourism) or certified by ATR (an organization dedicated to responsible tourism). You will also find explanations of the various labels used to verify and guarantee compliance with specific social and environmental criteria, which travellers can rely on when choosing their accommodations in France.

The guide’s selection of recommended addresses once again convincingly demonstrates that responsible tourism is easy, can take many forms, is possible all over France and is within everyone’s budget. And although sustainable tourism promotes reduced consumption and helps protect the environment, it is also inventive, enjoyable and enriching. It’s clear that environmental protection and fun can go hand-in-hand.

Some original destinations in France

• In Brittany, not far from the legendary Brocéliande Forest, L’Auberge des VoyaJoueurs gives guests the opportunity to learn games from a selection of over 600 from all over the world – an ideal way to relax with family or friends. Thanks to an air-source heat-pump system combined with solar energy and water-consumption management, the site consumes one-seventh the energy of the average establishment of its type, and the food is sourced mainly from local producers. It’s both fun and eco-friendly.
  Double occupancy from €62,
  €92 for four persons,
  €24 for each additional person at half board.
• EcoNuit, an all-new hotel concept that is both cost-effective and eco-friendly, has been launched in Guérande in the Pays de la Loire region. The hotel is constructed from extremely energy-efficient Thermopierre® blocks with solar panels and a rainwater recovery system. The rooms are outfitted with highly original furniture, mineral-based paint and recycled floor coverings, while the food is organic and locally sourced. The hotel itself was also designed as a product that will one day see the end of its lifecycle; it was therefore built in accordance with the Grenelle Environment Round Table recommendations.
  Double occupancy €49-€69 for one to four persons.
• In Auvergne, in northwest Clermond-Ferrand, you can get really close to nature – just like the ancient Gauls – at Les Cabanes des Combrailles, a very amusing eco-friendly resort. Guests stay in rustic, wool-insulated log cabins, some of which are perched in the trees. The amenities are in line with the values of the site: dry toilets, wood-fired stoves and oil lamps. Hot water is provided by a solar water heater, and wastewater is recovered and treated using an autonomous phyto-purification system. It’s a fun, eco-friendly resort!
  €350 to €600 for two to six persons, depending on the season.