The Espaces Valléens Have you heard of it?

The impacts of climate change, energy transition targets and changing customer behaviour are presenting mountain regions with an unprecedented challenge.

Against this backdrop, the sustainable development of mountain regions and a strategy to diversify tourism are essential.

In line with the Pays d’Évian Vallée d’Abondance Community of Communes’ ambition to make the ecological transition and sustainable development the guiding principles of its work, our inter-municipal tourist office, Leman Mountains Explore, is building its tourism diversification strategy around slow tourism. It is within this framework of sustainability and authenticity that the region joined the Espaces Valléens programme, having submitted its application in June 2021. The aim is to promote the region as a place to live, extend the tourist season and diversify activities in order to meet the changing expectations of visitors.

The application submitted by the region’s ‘Espaces Valléens’ is therefore structured around five key areas:

• Governance and the development of tools to create and promote the slow tourism destination
• Enhancing natural and cultural tourist sites
• Raising awareness of the challenges involved in preserving natural and cultural heritage
• Rethinking tourist transport
• Enhancing the quality and diversity of our accommodation

Projects such as heritage promotion, low-impact sports tourism, environmental education, year-round tourism, sustainable transport and immersive educational activities are all meaningful initiatives that can form part of this approach.