Community support

The international conservation organization Rainforest Alliance is developing a sustainable tourism promotion program for local hotel operators in the Maya Riviera, a leading tourist destination on Mexico’s Yucatán peninsula. Jointly with its local partner, the Mesoamerican Reef Tourism Initiative (MARTI)—itself supported by the Tour Operators’ Initiative for Sustainable Tourism Development (TOI), an association of tour operators and tourism companies, and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF)—Rainforest Alliance will provide training and technical support in environmental and social best practices to hotel owners and managers in the region. The practices aim, among other things, to conserve water and energy, manage waste, manage development near water bodies, and combat the sexual exploitation of children in tourism. For more than 20 years, the Rainforest Alliance has worked to conserve biodiversity and ensure sustainable livelihoods by transforming land-use practices, business practices and consumer behaviour. It is recognized for its expertise in sustainable practices and certification, for example in the forestry, agriculture and tourism sectors.

The Canadian organization Carrefour de solidarité internationale will create, in partnership with local co-operative Coclatours, a rural tourism development program giving local farmers and communities a stake in development of new tourism route from Cusco to Machu Picchu, in Peru. The project supported by Transat will develop an alternative, sustainable route that will take into account local culture and environmental concerns, and be run by the local farmer community. The project includes restoration of two 16th-century haciendas and their repurposing as tourist hospitality infrastructures, enhancement of knowledge in responsible tourism management for members of local co-ops, as well as development and distribution of communications tools promoting sustainable tourism to local tourism industry stakeholders as well as visitors. Carrefour de solidarité internationale was founded in 1976 and works to develop international solidarity, social justice and sustainable development, mainly in Latin America.

Transat has joined forces with France-based Migrations & Développement to implement a sustainable and solidarity tourism program in Morocco, aimed at developing local tourism supply and highlighting architectural, cultural and ecological heritage, in co-operation with local village associations. Targeting the area around the city of Taliouine, Morocco’s “Saffron Capital,” and the Anti-Atlas—a mountain chain in the southwestern part of the country—the project calls for marking and certification of a long-distance hiking trail with assistance from the Fédération française de randonnée pédestre, publishing of a topographic map and guide, and improvements to accommodation capacity via construction of guest rooms in traditional dwellings. Customized training will be provided to the families managing the guest rooms as well as to the local tour guides and mule drivers who will accompany hikers. Creation of a pottery production and exhibition centre is also planned. Created in 1986 by Moroccan immigrants to France with a shared aspiration to support development in their native villages, Migrations & Développement today collaborates with more than 400 local associations in 70 rural communes, making up a genuine integrated development network.

The Turkish Marine Environment Protection Association (TURMEPA) is mounting an education program to promote greener tourism- and pleasure-boating in the region of Göcek and Fethiye, on the Aegean coast, where these activities have grown considerably over the years. The project supported by Transat is structured around an extensive sustainable tourism awareness campaign, along with training programs for tour boat captains and sailors as well as employees of marinas and seaside hotels. The workshops will seek to promote heightened awareness of environmental issues among some 500 regional tourism stakeholders so as to better protect marine plants and animals in this tourist region, renowned for its magnificent bays and located in one of the country’s 14 Specially Protected Areas. TURMEPA is a non-government organization founded in 1994 and dedicated to protecting Turkey’s marine environment and its 8,333 kilometres of coastline.

The Association pour le développement durable (ADD), which works in the region of Médenine, Tunisia, has initiated the project “Innovation rurale en zone difficile” (IRZOD, or “sensitive-zone rural innovation”), an integrated, sustainable local development program focused on heritage and rural tourism in the territory of the Béni Khedache – Médenine Governorate delegation. The project, supported by Transat, involves construction of traditional rural lodges for tourist accommodations, creation of hiking trails highlighting architectural, cultural and botanical heritage, assistance to local craftspersons in setting up a workshop, and restoration of a heritage site featuring fortified community granaries, called ksour, which are more than three centuries old. Created in 2000 with support from public partners as well as Tunisian and European researchers, ADD conducts local sustainable-development activities in areas where development of local resources and preservation of crop biodiversity are favoured. The city of Médenine is located on the Djeffara Plain, 50 kilometres southwest of the island of Djerba.

Transat is supporting the “Cap ÉcoNav 2009” program, organized by the Association De Navigatio, based in Douarnenez, France. It consists of a major operation to raise awareness of green navigation, implementation of environmentally friendlier port infrastructures, and ocean conservation. Activities are scheduled from May to September 2009 in six to eight major ports on the Atlantic coast in the French region of Brittany, and will include exhibitions and conferences as well as meetings with local elected officials, tourism stakeholders, sailing enthusiasts and the media. Fleur de Lampaul, the flagship of the Nicolas Hulot Foundation, will be part of the activities in each port. Plans call for the program to be extended through 2012 in all of France’s coastal regions. The mission of the Association De Navigatio, created in 2002 following the successful completion of an “archeonavigation” project, is to contribute to development of a sustainable relationship between humans and the sea.

Transat is partnering with Ontario Nature, in Canada, in support of its “Discover Ontario's Natural Heritage” project to protect and restore 21 unique nature reserves across the province of Ontario. These ecologically significant lands are home to a number of rare plant and animal species. The “Discover Ontario's Natural Heritage” project combines the conservation of wildlife and natural habitats with the promotion of sustainable tourism. The project includes the creation of marked trails, maps, boardwalks and interpretation panels that facilitates public access to Ontario Nature’s reserves while ensuring minimal impact on the environment. Founded in 1931, Ontario Nature works to protect and restore natural habitats, and connect people with nature, through research, conservation campaigns, education and public awareness.

Transat is supporting a regional initiative of L’Échappée bleue, a sustainable-tourism co-op, to build a network of green lodges along the Véloroute des Bleuets bike path in the region of Lac-Saint-Jean, Quebec, Canada. The first lodge is currently being built in Saint-Prime, on the shore of the lake. It has a capacity of up to 40 visitors during the tourist season, acts as a showcase for alternative energy sources (solar, thermal and wind power), and features a restaurant serving local cuisine. Founded in 2006, the co-op has adopted all of the principles of sustainable tourism and promotes environmental stewardship as well as the products and talents of the Lac-Saint-Jean tourism region. It has a membership of close to 600, including four working members.

Transat is proud to be associated with World Wildlife Fund Canada (WWF-Canada), a world leader in environmental protection, for a three-year project in Cuba. Working with local authorities, WWF-Canada will lay the groundwork for a sustainable tourism policy to help protect the country’s ecosystems, considered to be among the richest in the Caribbean region. Find out more ›

Transat has joined forces with the Frontenac Arch Biosphere Reserve (a UNESCO biosphere reserve located in Ontario) network, which is undertaking an important green accreditation project targeting the area's businesses and organizations. The project is part of an extensive three-year program aimed at developing a national sustainable tourism model for biosphere reserves. Find out more ›

Considered to be the most complete interpretation centre of the seigniorial system in Quebec, the Seigneurie des Aulnaies received funding to implement a five-year plan to protect and develop its historic buildings as well as to modernize its reception structures, enhance its activities and permanent exhibition. Find out more ›

The Amis du marais not-for-profit organization, founded by committed citizens, is developing the recreational-tourism potential of a marsh area and 10-kilometre trail along the banks of the St. Lawrence River at Saint-Antoine-de-Tilly, near Quebec City. Find out more ›