• Ecotourism, defined as focusing on nature and which tends to minimize its impact on the environment in order to preserve it, was the main theme of the collaborative workshop organized by the Regional Tourism Committee (CRT) Paca.

  • Thus, the CRT offers alternatives to popular sites in the region.

  • A policy that has already been adopted on the Côte d'Azur where the local CRT drives many actions all year round and also promotes slow tourism, that is to say, tourism of the chosen time and with low CO2 emissions. .

In this context of the start of the summer season, whose "start signal" was launched with this first long weekend of the ascent, the Regional Tourism Committee (CRT) Paca devoted a collaborative workshop with local actors in order to " to raise awareness of ecotourism initiatives and ideas for lesser-known but equally beautiful and interesting visits”.

For several years, the trend has been towards ecotourism, which allows people to live “authentic nature experiences” and which opposes “mass” tourism.

The goal is to put forward “concrete solutions to reduce the pressure that several natural spots in the region experience from time to time and what this can unfortunately sometimes cause, while maintaining economic benefits for the territory”, specifies the CRT Paca.

Alternatives to “emblematic sites of the territory”

Thus, he advises "to board the train of wonders" to go to the Mercantour national park and to opt for "a more confidential hike" than the popular sites of the Gordolasque valley, the lake of Allos and the Lauzanier valley.

Instead, he recommends the Lausfer lakes from the Col de la Lombarde at Isola 2000, Mont Aucellier from Roure or the Bermonnet ridge from Férisson.

For the Préalpes d'Azur, the Cimes du Cheiron, the resorts of Gréolières and Audibergue – La Moulière, the nature center of Saint-Auban are presented as alternatives to the emblematic Baou de Saint-Jeannet.

This tourism logic has been adopted on the Côte d'Azur since 2018 with the "Green deal" initiated by Charles Ange Ginésy, president of the department.

By “preserving natural spaces”, this project aims “to make the Alpes-Maritimes a reference territory in the field of sustainable development, specifies Alexandre Borchio Fontimp, president of the CRT Côte d'Azur.

The Outdoor Festival with sports and free activities, micro-adventures off the beaten track to rediscover tourism close to home and the promotion of our local know-how are part of the many ecotourism actions that we promote and that we offer on seasonal wings [before and after the high season].

It's part of a desire for slow tourism that can be experienced all year round in our destination.

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Tools for promoting ecotourism

In addition to this promotion of ecotourism, the Paca region has set up an awareness campaign to "educate visitors to protected natural areas" with a simple message "#OnATousBesoinduSud" which is found on displays in public transport but also on social media.

And since the end of 2019, an unprecedented collaboration has been established between the CRT Paca and Waze, the leader in GPS navigation on mobile phones, which has made it possible to carry out an experiment from the summer of 2021, in seven national parks including the Préalpes d'Azur and Mercantour.

Through the application, "users are informed in real time about the frequentation of a searched site and are redirected to an alternative solution such as the proposal of a suitable parking place to get to the desired site and avoid car parks wildlife or the suggestion of other tourist sites nearby, "says the CRT.

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The different definitions

According to the World Tourism Organization, ecotourism is centered on nature, motivated by its discovery, tends to minimize its impact on the environment in order to preserve it in the long term and implies a desire of locals and tourists to safeguarding biodiversity.

Slow tourism is, among other things, “chosen time, low CO2 emitter, respecting the ecosystem of the host territory”, is it written on the entreprises.gouv.fr website.

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