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Sustainable tourism : a real commitment to Go To Madagascar (Grouping of Madagascar tourism operators).

Many questions currently arise concerning the development of tourism destination.

How to ensure the sustainability of the projects and tourism investment on the one hand, and in parallel, How to ensure that this sector highly purveyor of currency really constitutes a factor of development for the populations concerned.

For several years, the Group clearly displayed his motivations for the promotion of sustainable tourism in Madagascar.

This dynamic has materialised in recent years through various training activities, and communication, and more recently by the shooting of an outstanding series 10 reports 26 minutes each, entirely devoted to the topic and the issue of sustainable tourism, Thanks to the support of the German cooperation GTZ - KFW over 70 interviews were conducted by the company MAD' activity production, under the supervision of GO TO Madagascar.

The production company has assured all of the shootings, between South Africa and the big island, This series of programs of great wealth which is a mine of ideas and resources for those involved and the Malagasy tourism planners.

To meet the objective of informing the Malagasy tourism providers of realities and actions to be taken in order to work within the framework of sustainable tourism, This series of programs will be encoded on 3 DVD for free distribution to operators through the regional Offices of tourism, Chambers of Commerce, Professional group...

It is also expected the broadcast on one or more local channels of this series to also raise public awareness to the realities of sustainable tourism.

Creativity and the iterate of initiatives that arise part and another for tourism contributes genuinely and sustainably development communities, It is urgent to move to a stage of concrete achievements in Madagascar.

Certainly, several ecotourism and sustainable tourism programmes exist or are planned in Madagascar.

So include "The Tsara Camp" in the Andringitra, which is totally managed by villagers in the Valley of the Tsaranoro or neighbouring valleys.

In another genre, the association CETAMADA in Sainte Marie works in order to develop a real respectful whaling ecotourism of cetaceans.

Fianarantsoa, the Programme for the safeguarding of the old city has been able to combine the rehabilitation of the architectural heritage and the establishment of tourist activities (snack, Bed & Breakfast, guide Association).

More recently, Saha Forest Camp is located in the municipality of Anjozorobe on the basis of an innovative sustainable financial mechanism : the structure (land and buildings) belongs to the community association, a management mandate is entrusted to a private hospitality professional, with payout percentages on turnover allocated to community development and conservation of the protected area activities.

However, expected impacts are still long to be felt, and many efforts must be provided so that the tourism sector becomes a real tool for the reduction of poverty and the sustainable management of natural resources.

Beyond the relevance of the initiatives, nothing can really register in a real sustainability without a commitment and support of the State and local communities, especially for social action, education, development of the territory or sanitation.

The logic of the public-private partnership remains at the heart of approaches to sustainability.

The South Africa : proximity and innovation of a regional partnership for sustainable tourism

The rapprochement initiated in recent years with South Africa revealed numerous initiatives on sustainable tourism, and to germinate ideas. Among the guidelines selected, active a collaboration with the promoter of the Fair Trade label Organization in Tourism South Africa (FTTSA) is envisaged.

Fair Trade in Tourism encourages and publishes examples of good practice incurred by service providers in South Africa on fair tourism and responsible for this action is mainly conducted through the label FTTSA.

Independent symbol of fairness in the tourism industry
This label is awarded to tourism providers that adhere to the following criteria :

Fair wages and reasonable working conditions,
Fair operations,
Collection and redistribution of benefits practice fair trade
Respect for the human rights, cultures and the environment.
Creation of an office of Fair Trade certification.
Tourism-Madagascar

A protocol agreement is in preparation in order to :

Allow a transfer of competences between FTTSA and members Go To Madagascar and facilitate collaboration between Malagasy and South African operators.
Produce training materials usable for both parties.
The development of certification «Fair Trade Tourism» Madagascar, Depending on the model and the specification of FTTSA and link with existing.

Definition of sustainable tourism :
Sustainable tourism describes generally all forms of alternative tourism that respect, conserve and sustainably develop heritage resources (natural, Cultural and social) territory to the attention of tourists greeted.

Eco-tourism is just one of the forms, more focused on the discovery of ecosystems, agro systems or ethno-cultural aspects of biodiversity, including proximity tourism which seeks to reduce its ecological footprint.

The World Tourism Organization defines it as follows :
The "sustainable tourism development meets the needs of tourists and home regions while protecting and improving the prospects for the future. He is seen as leading to management of all resources such as economic needs, social and aesthetic can be fulfilled while maintaining cultural integrity, the essential ecological processes, biological diversity, and living systems..

Sustainable tourism is so dynamic that articulates modes of travel, production and consumption eco-responsible, While closely involving the people who live, working or staying in the space concerned the tourism development project and the socio-economic benefits, equitably distributed.

This development requires planning and integrated management of resources, a control of flows (energy, of goods and persons) and which therefore implies the close involvement of local actors, and an eco responsibility of tourists, in order to reconcile the implementation of tourism with the needs and capacity of the territory