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Sustainable tourism: the Tourist Office takes its responsibilities seriouslyAwards for Granville Terre & Mer

Horizons Trophy

Already certified as a “Green Destinations” for its commitment to more sustainable tourism, Destination Granville Terre et Mer is pushing the envelope once again and assuming its responsibilities!

On Wednesday 5 June 2024, Granville Terre et Mer was awarded the Trophée Horizons des Acteurs du Tourisme Durable in the “Societal Responsibility” category. through a skills sponsorship with the Avril association – and its concern to preserve its natural heritage – through an educational programme to preserve the foreshore* – has been rewarded. Once again, this award shows that together, by creating synergies and promoting good practice, the Tourist Office is helping to move tourism towards more responsible practices.

Published on 13 February 2026

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An award that meets two challenges: raising awareness & preserving the biodiversity of the foreshore

“Granville Terre & Mer, take the rhythm of the tides”. This strong territorial promise directly linked to the natural heritage requires concrete actions to raise awareness and preserve it. As a tourism player, and in order to act on the impact of its actions on the environment (promotion of spring tides and leisure fishing), the Tourist Office is once again assuming its responsibilities and committing itself alongside the Avril association by combining their skills towards a common objective: to encourage sustainable leisure fishing. In the 2024 calendar, from April to October, the Tourist Office volunteers trained by Avril have ticked off 9 high tide dates to go out and meet recreational anglers on the foreshore to raise their awareness of good practice.

*Foreshore: part of the coastline alternately covered and uncovered by the sea.

Tourist Office/April commitment: working together towards more responsible practices

Thanks to the implementation in 2024 of a 3-year skills sponsorship agreement with Avril, 6 volunteer employees from the Tourist Office have been trained to meet visitors on the foreshore during spring tides during their working hours. Tidal phenomena, coefficients, shellfish sizes, quantities, less invasive fishing methods… For a few hours, the tourist information office advisors put on their mediators’ hats to raise awareness among those who enjoy fishing at the bottom of the water. Their work also enables them to gather precise information to feed the Channel North Sea Observatory. Next dates: 6 June, 24 July, 21 August at Saint-Martin de Bréhal and 25 July at Champeaux.

The Avril association

Since 2014, the Avril association, in partnership with the APP2R association, has been carrying out information, awareness-raising and educational activities to promote sustainable leisure fishing in the Manche department: a study of the number of people using the sites, a diagnosis of foot fishing practices, an assessment of the effects of foot fishing on the environments fished, education on the regulations governing recreational foot fishing. Since 2018, these actions have been carried out as part of the Manche – Mer du Nord recreational angling observatory run by the Normandy URCPIE, with the support of the Office Français de la Biodiversité (OFB). At the same time, Avril is taking part in the Littorea network, run by Vivarmor and the CPIE Marennes-Oléron, with support from the OFB and the Fondation de France.

The Granville Terre et Mer tourist destination is still going strong

5 June 2024: Winner of the Horizons Trophy for Sustainable Tourism Actors (ATD)

Winner of the award in the “Social Responsibility” category for setting up a skills sponsorship scheme to preserve the foreshore with the Avril association. Supported by ADEME, ISTO, Circulab, Enercoop, Mouvement Impact France, UNAT, Food Index for Good, the French Office for Biodiversity and Teragir, the award recognises positive-impact initiatives that meet the key challenges of the tourism transition. The Acteurs du Tourisme Durable association federates the entire tourism sector and is the first national professional network aimed at moving the entire sector towards more responsible practices, through the creation of synergies and the promotion of best practices.

May 2024: national conference on leisure angling at Château d’Oléron.

As the only representative of the tourism sector in France, the Granville Terre & Mer Tourist Office was present at the annual meeting of leisure fishing on foot organised by the Littoréa network. In keeping with its commitments, the Tourist Office was able to exchange views with environmental players who are keen to work towards sustainable recreational fishing.

2024: drafting of a charter to regulate visitor numbers on the Chausey archipelago

The archipelago of the Chausey Islands is a protected site of high environmental value, with different statuses and complementary situations in terms of management and uses. The implementation of a charter – effective in July – aims to regulate visitor numbers on the archipelago’s Grande Île by acting on the tonnage of passengers carried by shipping companies, in order to ensure both This will ensure the preservation of the natural environment, good reception conditions for visitors, the economic sustainability of the shipping companies and the peace and quiet of the islanders.

2023: Green Destinations Gold certification

In 2023, Granville Terre & Mer Tourist Office will be awarded Gold level Green Destinations certification, recognising the region’s commitment to responsible tourism. This international label is one of five recognised internationally by the World Council for Sustainable Tourism, accredited by the World Tourism Organisation.