A dedicated toolbox

NEW EDITION - WAVE 2

The Sustainable Tourism Fund, set up within the framework of France Relance and supported by ADEME, aims to support, via financial aid, tourism operators in their approach to sustainable tourism, with priority given to rural areas. It has three components: support for the sustainable transition of catering (component 1) and tourist accommodation (component 2), and support for the development of slow tourism offers (component 3).

The support to the development of slow tourism offers (strand 3) is based on a national call for projects which aims to assist tourism stakeholders in the design of their service offer allowing the development of a slow tourism offer, in order to bring out new eco-designed tourism projects.

Who is the call for projects aimed at?

All types of actors in the tourism sector, assimilated to SMEs in the EU sense, can apply for this call for proposals:

> VSEs and SMEs, associations, SCOPs, SEMs, micro-enterprises included

> Individuals renting out guest rooms, furnished tourist accommodation or similar (declaration to the town hall and registration with the RCS).

> Social tourism operators (criteria detailed in the PAA)

> Local authorities that own or manage furnished tourist accommodation or similar, campsites and leisure residential parks, wishing to enrich this accommodation offer with a slow tourism product, regardless of the type of operation of this accommodation.

> NRP (criteria detailed in the call for proposals)

Eligible are operators in activity or in creation, established on the French territory. Newly established operators must either already have a registered legal structure or be based on an existing structure.

What projects are eligible?

The project must be located in one of the municipalities eligible for the Sustainable Tourism Fund (file available below in the "To find out more" section).

It must also:

1. 1. fall within one or more of the following themes, which are particularly representative of the slow tourism offer

> Enhancement / protection of cultural or natural heritage in accordance with the values of slow tourism

> Development of soft roaming products or services with a view to immersive discovery of the territories;

> Development of slow tourism offers within social and solidarity tourism services;

> Creation of innovative tourism services for slow tourism clients;

> Creation and/or adaptation of tourist accommodation as part of a slow tourism project.

2. Respond specifically to each of the following four pillars of slow tourism:

> Pillar 1: Promote the tourist experience, based on the principles of sobriety and energy efficiency to limit environmental impacts.

> Pillar 2: Pay attention to time management.

> Pillar 3: Use alternative and/or active mobility

> Pillar 4: Involve all the players in the tourism sector in the protection and enhancement of natural and cultural heritage.

To find out more, visit the DGE website

What are the benefits of the scheme for eligible project leaders?

> Financial support for projects costing a minimum of €20,000

> Financial assistance of up to 70% of the total cost of the project up to a maximum of €200,000 of assistance

> Financial support can be provided for :

1. An engineering assistance mission
2. Expenditure on the acquisition and installation of ephemeral accommodation
3. Expenditure on small equipment
4. Mobility solutions compatible with the sustainable transition
5. Animation, training and communication actions
6. Staff costs

Is the call recurring?

The PAA consists of two waves:

1. Wave 1 closes on 16 June 2021.
2. Wave 2 open from 23 July to¹ October 2021 at 3pm.

Is the call for projects selective and according to what criteria?

This call for projects will be selected by a committee according to the following criteria

• Relevance and coherence of the project and the actions financed
• The project is part of a sustainable local development strategy
• Richness of partnerships and efforts to initiate/inscribe in a slow tourism destination at local level
• Taking into account the "tourism for all" dimension
• Innovations and consideration of digital responsibility

Complete applications must only be submitted on the electronic submission platform by the date and time indicated in the calendar below. Any incomplete application will be considered inadmissible. Supporting documents sent by e-mail before or after the submission of the application will not be accepted.

For more information on the Slow Tourism call for projects, an information webinar will take place on 31 August from 2pm to 3.30pm. To register, please go HERE.

RECOMMENDATIONS

• Make sure that the documents are complete when you submit your application - an incomplete application is inadmissible. 8 duly completed documents must be attached to the application. Two new documents must be submitted in comparison to wave 1: "inventory", which provides a presentation of your business, and "slow tourism components of the offer", which allows you to structure the slow tourism approach of your project. We also ask you to attach your bank details and a Kbis extract less than 3 months old.
• Ensure that the technical document provides the right level of information on the business model: communication of a business plan, details on the expenses envisaged with regard to the Slow Tourism project and in the perspective of the ecological transition and any information that makes it possible to judge the relevance of the dossier (economic and tourist potential in the territory)
• Do not wait until the last moment to submit your application

Region(s) or country(ies) concerned

National