After visiting the Green Resort and its neighbour, the Blue Océan municipal campsite, Surfrider representatives were invited to a drink to celebrate the signing of the first partnership between the environmental association and a tourist accommodation provider. The event was attended by local and regional tourist institutions, as well as major players in the French surfing community, whose involvement in preserving the environment and the Landes coastline was highlighted.
Participants gathered in front of the fresco made by the local artist Elodie Perrier. Through this partnership, Blue Océan & Green Resort have chosen to raise awareness among their guests, and particularly children, of an issue that is well known to the people of Ondres and the inhabitants of the Atlantic coast: the phenomenon of erosion. Through the “Coastal Risk Campus” project, Surfrider is informing the public about the risks of erosion linked to climate change.
The Green resort eco-lodge also intends to take advantage of the expertise of the Surfrider teams in the methodology they apply all year round to their waste collection and quantification, to organise the traditional summer waste collection season and the fight against plastic pollution in Ondres. Also, the awareness-raising activities set up by Surfrider as part of the corporate seminars organised at the Green Resort will gain new followers.
Margaux Boniface, Head of Partnerships at Surfrider’s head office, acknowledged the Green Resort’s “sincere commitment to protecting the ocean and promoting sustainable tourism”, and was delighted with these opportunities for exchange, which “make sense and support the ecological transition”.
The site director, for his part, emphasised the “deep-rooted desire to respect the environment” shared by his entire team. A fervent ambassador for the European Ecolabel, for nearly fifteen years he has been helping to steer the open-air hotel sector and tourism in general in a more virtuous direction. The signing of this partnership with Surfrider represents “a new stage for Green Resort, spearheading sustainable tourism and the region’s ecological transition”.
The Green Resort is proud to be the first tourist establishment to support Surfrider’s mission and hopes that other partnerships between the tourism industry and the NGO will follow.
“Surfrider Europe was founded in 1990 by a group of surfers who wanted to protect their playground. Its DNA is based on mobilising citizens to protect the ocean and coastline.”
“Surfrider Europe works with all stakeholders in society (citizens, private sector, public sector) on 3 main issues: coastal development and climate change, water quality and user health, and aquatic waste.”
Photo: Agence Hondarra, Fédération Française de Surf, Office de Tourisme du Seignanx, Surfrider Foundation, Gautier Garanx and Pulse Surf Coaching, Ecolabel Club du Sud-Ouest, Go & Surf, Landes Attractivité, Ocean Playground, Lost In Land, the Blue Océan and Green Resort teams.