Our Concrete Actions
At France By Locals, sustainable tourism isn’t just a buzzword — it’s a principle that guides everything we do, internally and externally. Over the past year and a half, we have committed ourselves to concrete, measurable actions that make a difference for our team, our partners, and the travelers who explore Provence and beyond with us.
“… I wanted to introduce my granddaughters, aged 15 and almost 13, to the beauty of France and Sebastian helped plan the perfect trip! There were 7 of us, all women, who travelled together. We spent 4 days in Paris, followed by 2 days in the Loire Valley visiting the castles, then on to Normandy, where we stayed in the charming town of Bayeux for 2 nights…”
“… We just finished an absolutely unforgettable trip through Provence and the French Riviera, organized by Simon at France by Locals. As a French native living in the United States for over twenty years, this trip was a wonderful opportunity for me to introduce my wife and four children to France while rediscovering so many new and unexpected aspects of my home country…”
“…I cannot say enough wonderful things about Sebastian with Kimkim, who planned the most unforgettable journey through the South of France! From the thoughtful tours of Nice, to the charming cobblestone streets of Antibes, and the vibrant culture of Marseille, every detail was flawlessly arranged…”
Internal Actions: Leading by Example
Sustainable tourism starts at home. In our agency, we have implemented waste sorting, chosen sustainable restaurants for team meals, and adopted practices to minimize water and energy consumption.
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These internal initiatives create a culture of responsibility within the team. By integrating sustainability into everyday life, our staff experiences firsthand the value of thoughtful, responsible tourism — knowledge that naturally extends into the trips we design for our clients.
Sustainable Trip Design: Partner Evaluation and Scoring
Externally, our most impactful actions concern the trips we organize. Thanks to Julie, one of our team members, we developed a system to evaluate our suppliers on sustainability. Each partner — whether accommodation, activity provider, guide, or transport company — receives a sustainability score, translated into a simple color code:
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🔴 Red = Non-sustainable
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🟡 Yellow = Good, with room for improvement
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🟢 Green = Sustainable
These evaluations are based on clear, structured criteria, including environmental practices, social responsibility, local engagement, certifications, ethics, and awareness.
This system allows us to choose partners consciously, ensuring sustainability is a key factor in every trip we design.
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A Sustainable Score for Each Trip
The partner evaluation feeds directly into the overall sustainability score of each trip. By averaging the scores of all providers involved, we can assign a global sustainable rating, which we share with travelers in their personalized travelbooks.
Our mid-term goal is to exclusively work with green partners, ensuring that every trip aligns with the principles of sustainable tourism. This approach gives travelers full transparency, encourages providers to improve, and fosters a positive tourism ecosystem.
A Dedicated Code of Conduct
To reinforce our standards, we established a Code of Conduct for our partners, which:
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✅ Raises awareness about best practices
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✅ Sets clear rules to protect the environment and local communities
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✅ Provides for ending collaboration in case of repeated breaches
This framework helps preserve the authenticity and quality of experiences, ensuring that each trip has a positive impact on the destination and its people.
Travelife Partnership and Certification
As a proud Travelife Partner, we have integrated the Travelife standards into our operations and are actively working to validate our final Travelife certification very soon. This certification reflects our structured, transparent approach to responsible tourism and provides clients and partners with a trusted benchmark for sustainability.
Being a Travelife Partner aligns perfectly with our internal initiatives, partner evaluation system, and commitment to ongoing improvement. It also reinforces our mission to encourage sustainable practices across the tourism industry.
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Structured Reporting and Continuous Improvement
Our commitment to sustainable tourism is documented through our first CSR report, covering September 2024 to April 2025. Highlights include:
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A strong internal focus, emphasizing quality of life at work, shared governance, responsible consumption, and waste reduction
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Measurable sustainability indicators, inspired by ISO 26000 and the Travelife framework
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A transparent approach that shares both successes and limitations, avoiding overstatements
Even as a small agency, we can take meaningful, tangible steps to make tourism more responsible and environmentally conscious.
Engaging the Travel Community
The Sustainable Score system, integrated into our trip design tools and client quotations, enables both our team and travelers to make informed decisions. By highlighting partners already committed to sustainability and encouraging improvement where needed, we aim to support responsible practices and give visibility to those who deserve it.
We are continuously updating and enriching the tool, sharing results with our ecosystem of partners and clients. This collaborative approach is central to our mission: building a fair, ethical, and environmentally conscious tourism network.
Conclusion: Sustainable Tourism in Action
At France By Locals, sustainable tourism is an ongoing journey. Through internal practices, rigorous partner evaluation, Travelife alignment, and innovative trip design, we are creating experiences that respect people, communities, and the environment.
By combining our Sustainable Score, Code of Conduct, and Travelife standards, travelers can enjoy unforgettable trips with a clear understanding of their impact.
We look forward to expanding our sustainable practices, sharing progress with clients, and inspiring other travel professionals to prioritize responsible tourism. Every journey can make a difference — and together, we are shaping a more sustainable future for tourism in France and beyond.
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