Since the 60s and 70s and for a few decades, many boat companies have offered numerous maritime shuttles, including, for example, a half-a-day visit to Saint-Honorat and the nearby island of Sainte Marguerite, resulting in an uncontrollable development of mass tourism. The Abbey thus wanted to gain more control over the visitors’ influx to better preserve the island by managing their maritime shuttles.
Controlling the impacts of maritime transport to an island and visitors numbers
What is the project?
Lowering the impacts of maritime transport to an island by controlling the number of visitors
Project: Lowering the impact of maritime tourist transport – Saint-Honorat
Place: Saint-Honorat, France
Thematic: Water
Partners:
Saint-Honorat – Our Lady of Lérins Abbey (France)
What ARE the objectiveS?
- Preserve the island
- Regulating the number of visitors on the island
- Raising awareness for the respect of the environment of the island
- Controlling boat frequency
- Raising funds for environment protection
How?
- Regulating the number of visitors for the monks know how many people are on the island and can adapt the number of boats depending on the season and weather conditions.
- The trip from Cannes to Saint-Honorat becomes a powerful communication tool.
- Messages encouraging visitors to respect the environment and spirit of the place are shared with visitors before their arrival on the island.
- 4% of the boat ticket price goes to the island’s protection through the French Barnier tax.
POSITIVE IMPACTS
- The Abbey recruited a crew that shared Abbey’s vision to preserve the island.
- The French Barnier tax provides funds for the protection of the island.
- Tourist numbers are regulated and allow the monks to adapt.
- Visitors are encouraged to respect the environment.
LINKS OF INTEREST
For more information, please refer to pgs. 17-18: