In very touristic places such as French Polynesia, sustainable tourism can be a way towards a better conservation of the marine environment. With the financial support of the CRISP, te mana o te moana has worked on a two-years project towards the promotion of sustainable tourism in relation with coral reefs…
Trainings with tourism operators, edition of practical guides and partnership with a pilot company were the main components of this program. These actions aiming have helped tourism operators in French Polynesia to become more eco-friendly in their activity.
A practical Guide
on Sustainable tourism
This guide on sustainable tourism, adapted to French Polynesia’s specificities, adresses hotels and pensions and provides tips and solutions to set-up an more sustainable and eco-friendly activity, and to apply to eco-certification.
This guide is inspired from the guide «Making small hotels and Resorts Environmentally sustainable : a simple checklist for Fiji Operators», edited in 2003 within a project for the promotion of sustainable tourism in Fidji. However, it has been reviewed and adapted to the local context.
The guide includes practical fact-sheets on the following topics:
1 – Saving energy
2 – Saving water
3 – Waste management
4 – Reducing pollutions
5 – Choosing furnishers
6 – Awareness raising for staff and clients
7 – Support to nature conservation actions and to local community
8 – Eco-certification
Download the Guide (in French): le guide Mon hôtel devient durable
A practical guide
on the protection of marine environment
This guide adresses tourism operators, and especially those having nautical activities. It summarizes all local and international recommendations and initiatives aiming at a more sustainable nautical tourism.
2000 copies have been printed to be handed out to tourism operators and environmental actors in French Polynesia. It is distributed during trainings, environmental events, or when visiting activities centers and institutions.
Download the Guide (in French): Guide Tourisme nautique et protection du milieu marin en Polynésie française
Training
for tourism operators
A special training on “preserving the marine environment” has been organised for lagoon tourism operators on the most touristic islands: Bora-Bora, Tahiti, Moorea, and Fakarava, which has recently been named UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.
During these trainings, special attention was given to:
- providing knowledge, practical tools and tips, easy to use bay the operators during their everyday work
- raising awareness about environmental problems and issues
- collecting the comments and opinions expressed par the tourism operators about the problems encountered in their activity
Four days of trainings have been organised and shared between the islands of Bora-Bora, Fakarava, Moorea and Tahiti. The training was delivered by Matthieu Petit (te mana o te moana) and Christophe Cicculo (Service de la Jeunesse et des Sports de Polynésie française) on Tahiti and Moorea.
March 29-30, 2010 – 2 training days for tourism operators
Presence
at the Tourism Fair
Te mana o te moana was present at the Tourism Fair in Tahiti in September 2009.
This event gathers all local actors of tourism (GIE Tahiti Tourisme, Ministry in charge of Tourism, Ministry in charge of Health and Sustainable Development, hotels, family pensions, nautical activities operators).
Te mana o te moana’s objective was to raise awareness and contribute to the take-off of sustainable tourism in French Polynesia and in the Pacific.
Supporting
BoraEcoFish company
This small company, created in 2005, works specifically on post larval stages and on invertebrates. This aquacultural farm uses a technic which is known as ecological (collection of post larvae on the reef crest) and preserving the reefs ressources. Objectives are to monitor lagoon fishes or help hotels in restauring their degraded coral reefs.
BoraEcoFish is a good example of a commercial activity taking into consideration sustainability, and offering interesting potential links with local ecotourism.
Te mana o te moana, within the project “promotion of sustainable tourism” funded by the CRISP, has proposed a strategic plan to promote and explain BoraEcoFish’s experience towards local and international private and public partners. This strategic plan is detailed in the following document.
Download the Final Report (in French): Rapport de Synthèse – Juin 2010 – Promotion de la filière postlarves en Polynésie française – Stratégies appliquées à l’entreprise BoraEcoFish
For more information on the programme, download the Final Report (in French): Rapport final d’activités – Juin 2010 – Développement de la promotion du tourisme durable en Polynésie française