The Acteurs du Tourisme Durable (ATD) network rewards and promotes outstanding, inspiring, innovative and reproducible sustainable tourism initiatives. Focus on the Horizons Awards.
In 2022, the ATD association is launching an award ceremony supported by ADEME and the French Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs. Its name? The Trophées Horizons.
Its aim is to highlight and reward outstanding initiatives in sustainable tourism. In June 2022, the jury will select the Horizons Trophies candidates and reward one initiative in each of the twelve categories.
Here’s an overview of this committed and virtuous competition.
The ATD
Photo credit – Acteurs du Tourisme Durable
The Association des Acteurs du Tourisme Durable brings together over two hundred organizations committed to responsible tourism. They represent all the professions in the tourism chain. It’s only by developing and transforming the day-to-day practices of all those involved in tourism that things can change.
Thanks to a tightly-knit, connected network, members work in synergy, sharing their solutions and transforming the whole picture. In this way, they are able to overcome all the obstacles that can arise, at one time or another, when implementing a green and sustainable travel policy.
In addition to federating the sector around environmental issues and promoting ecological and ethical travel, ATD plays an educational role. It provides information on good practices, industry news and resources for professionals. Through online conferences and face-to-face meetings, it also trains and raises awareness of sustainable development issues.
Why has « responsible travel » become crucial? How can we integrate this notion into our organization? How can we reconcile economic success, service and product quality, ecological tolerance and social justice? These are just some of the questions the association can answer to help its members make the right choices. Last but not least, ATD, backed by its reputation, does not hesitate to push its members to the forefront. It represents these committed professionals in dealings with professional bodies, institutions and the media.
Horizons Awards
The Trophées Horizons in a nutshell
Photo credit: ATD – Trophées Horizons
ATD is back with a bang after its previous competition, Les Palmes du Tourisme Durable (last held in 2020), with the Trophées Horizons. The Palmes du Tourisme Durable were already a shining example in the world of responsible travel. They rewarded tourism professionals, foreign destinations and projects in France that implemented inspiring economic, environmental and social initiatives in sustainable tourism.
With this new awards program, the Trophées Horizons, ATD wants to go even further. The selection criteria are even more demanding, and reflect our commitment to sustainable tourism.
Supported by the French Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs and the French Environment and Energy Management Agency (ADEME), the Horizons Trophies aim to inspire change among tourism industry professionals and contribute to the deployment of positive-impact projects. The best projects will benefit from a real spotlight. This time, only French structures are invited to present their innovative initiatives, divided into the twelve categories below. Expert partner organizations will review the entries, and a final jury will select the winners in each category in June 2022.
Award categories
Mobility
Photo credit: Shutterstock – Egor_Kulinich
Includes all actions that limit or reduce the carbon footprint of tourist mobility. This includes promoting soft mobility, alternatives to private cars, last-mile management solutions and green incentives for users.
Climate change adaptation and resilience
Involves actions that transform, but do not disrupt, the tourism offering so that it coincides with the effects of climate change. For example: four-season tourism, diversification of offerings, adaptation of buildings and infrastructures to climate risks.
Preserving biodiversity and natural resources
Photo credit: Shutterstock – Andrew Mayovskyy
Includes initiatives to preserve or reintroduce biodiversity and/or limit the use of natural resources. Any tourism development that does not alter the living environment can be rewarded. In this way, ATD intends to reward initiatives that preserve the soil, encourage the rational use of resources, protect local flora and fauna, and allow the use of neutral cleaning products.
Responsible organization
Gathers together projects that aim to promote responsible human resource management and broaden the scope of beneficiaries of tourism activities. Examples include exemplary management of human resources and skills, strong social equality and justice, raising employee awareness of sustainable development, major solidarity initiatives, and campaigns to provide financial support for charities.
Responsible management of tourist flows
Relates to initiatives that promote a harmonious distribution of visitors in time and space. The aim here is to reward players who, for example, combat mass tourism or develop off-season offers.
Energy management
Photo credit: Shutterstock – lovelyday12
Includes all projects aimed at limiting energy consumption and its impact on nature. Examples include infrastructure thermal renovation projects, initiatives to reduce energy consumption and optimize energy use, and the acquisition of renewable energies.
Local roots
Includes initiatives aimed at developing ethical tourism and promoting local products. They aim to re-establish balance and contact between travelers and locals. This includes all initiatives aimed at involving local people in the tourism offering, promoting local crafts and shops, and highlighting civic-minded actions.
Local tourism (category of the year)
Brings together projects that promote local tourism. In other words, tourism that leads travellers to discover destinations that are closer to home and less frequented. This trend, largely encouraged by the restrictions imposed during the health crisis, aims to (re)enhance the value of the French territory.
Sustainable food
Photo credit: Shutterstock – almaje
Relates to initiatives aimed at developing a responsible food offer. This means enabling the use of local and seasonal products, welcoming vegetarians or vegans, combating food waste and promoting awareness of responsible eating.
Tourism for all
Actions designed to promote access to tourism for all: people with disabilities, disadvantaged families who find it difficult to go on vacation, single women traveling in insecurity, etc.
Circular economy and waste management
Photo credit: Shutterstock – petrmalinak
Bringing together projects that work to establish and maintain a circular economy, reclaiming or limiting waste. For example, all zero-waste programs, recycling, reuse of resources and used materials, eco-design of services or products.
Young shoot
Sustainable tourism initiatives supported and encouraged by an emerging structure.
An initiative supported by Generation Voyage
France (which prides itself on being the world’s leading tourist destination), and its travel professionals, cannot help but be aware of the negative impacts of tourism. That’s why Generation Voyage places particular emphasis on promoting sustainable travel.
We’ve created a section entirely dedicated to the subject. Called « voyager différemment », it covers all subjects that, in one way or another, concern responsible tourism. As a tourism media that listens to the industry, we know that tourism practices that are more respectful of living beings, both human and environmental, are (and must be) the future.
Photo credit: Generation Voyage
Travel, tourism activities and the creation of infrastructures to accommodate travelers are not without repercussions. Particularly when you consider that almost 8% of global greenhouse gas emissions are generated by the transportation of tourists and business travellers. In addition to transport, services also have a sometimes dramatic impact on a destination’s ecosystems.
For us, traveling differently involves every stage of a trip, from travelers to professionals. Every link in the tourism chain has a role to play. These are perfectly represented by the twelve categories rewarded at the Trophées Horizons.
The coherence between the values of the ATD network, through the Trophées Horizons, and Generation Voyage, through its « Voyager différemment » section, is obvious. As a media partner of the event, we will be present at the Trophées Horizons awards ceremony in June 2022.