Notice to travelers who do not forget their environmental impact on vacation: the Bay of Somme extends its arms to you.
Renowned for its chalk cliffs (the highest in Europe), its seal observation points and its Marquenterre park, it also works for more sustainable tourism.
On March 6, during the 10th edition of the Green Destinations Story Awards in Berlin, the Picardy territory took third place among global destinations working for more sustainable tourism.
Just ahead: the Central Coast in Australia and the Cavinzas and Palomino Islands in Peru.
The Bay of Somme triumphed in the “destination management” category, thanks to its destination management.
The Green Destinations Story Awards reward initiatives in favor of more sustainable tourism.
The Green Destinations group, which works to assess, build capacity and certify destinations engaged in such tourism, created this recognition in 2014.
To apply for this distinction, the Baie de Somme submitted a file (in English) where it emphasizes having developed a “
long-term
” vision, which
“preserves the natural beauty and authenticity of the territory
”.
To show the importance given to sustainable landscape management and the protection of local flora and fauna, it has developed several of its initiatives, particularly focused on soft mobility.
With, at the top of the bill, cycling.
Indeed, the Bay of Somme today has 160 kilometers of interconnected cycle paths.
In the 2000s, it only had 22.
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Grand Site de France since 2011
The 70km2 territory, the largest estuary in northern France, has been recognized as a Grand Site de France since 2011 and is home to the Baie de Somme Picardie Maritime Regional Natural Park.
It is regularly praised for the richness of its natural landscapes, between forests, dunes and cliffs, and for the diversity of its fauna, particularly ornithological – hundreds of species of birds stop there during their migration.
In a press release, the Syndicat Mixte Baie de Somme – Grand Littoral Picard, present during the awards ceremony, applauded the news and said it was “
determined to continue its sustainable development activities, relying on approaches that led to this distinguished honor
.”
In 2024 it will celebrate its fifty years of existence.