Quality labels and certification schemes

 “Destination d’Excellence” label

The new ‘Destination of Excellence’ label aims to raise quality standards across the entire tourism sector whilst incorporating more environmentally friendly practices: accommodation, catering, places of interest and leisure facilities, tourist information centres (including tourist offices), transport…

It has now replaced the ‘Qualité Tourisme’ label since May 2024.

‘Tourisme & Handicap’ certification scheme

Tourisme & Handicap is a national certification scheme designed to provide objective, standardised information on the accessibility of tourist sites and facilities. It takes into account the four types of disability (hearing impairment, behavioural and developmental disabilities, physical disabilities and visual impairment) and aims to develop an accessible tourism offering, fully integrated within the general tourism offering. The certification scheme is the result of partnership between the Ministry of Tourism, tourism professionals, local authorities and associations representing people with reduced mobility. All ten of our tourist offices have the Tourisme & Handicap certification for the four types of disability, with the exception of Ars-en-Ré, which is certified for three types (hearing impairment, behavioural and developmental disabilities and physical disabilities). Charente-Maritime is the leading département in France in terms of certified sites and establishments.

‘Famille Plus’ quality label

This national quality label is awarded to French destinations that are family-friendly for children over 18 months of age. Destinations with the ‘Famille Plus’ quality label must meet 110 criteria and 6 commitments to guarantee an enjoyable family holiday: a warm welcome, information, local events, activities, discovery of the local area and heritage, accommodation, restaurants, shops, services, facilities and safety.

‘Accueil Vélo’ (‘Cyclists Welcome’) quality label

Thanks to this national quality label, Destination Île de Ré and its partners can guarantee a high-quality welcome and services along our cycle paths for local residents, visitors and touring cyclists. The quality label guarantees that an establishment is located less than 5 km from a cycling route, that there are cycling-friendly facilities, a warm welcome, practical information, and dedicated services for cyclists.

‘Villes & Pays d’Art & d’Histoire’ (since 2012)

Awarded by the French Ministry of Culture, this quality label is awarded to towns and areas with exceptional art and history. The villages, towns or communities of municipalities take an active approach to knowledge, conservation, mediation and support for creative initiatives, and the quality of architecture and the living environment. It certifies the improvement of 19th-, 20th- and 21st-century architecture, and the conservation of landscape. More than just a quality label, it is accompanied by a genuine development project for the area, with guided tours, exhibitions, publications, conferences and awareness-raising initiatives for young people.

‘Villages de pierres et d’eau’

Created by the Charente-Maritime département, this quality label is awarded to villages with fewer than 3,000 inhabitants, where stone architecture representative of the département is located close to a body of water, and there is a vibrant tourism offering. The Charente-Maritime département, Charentes Tourisme tourist board, the Council for Architecture, Urban Planning and the Environment (CAUE) and the Architectes des Bâtiments de France (ABF) service have combined their expertise to offer this unique approach.

Fourteen emblematic villages have come together around a shared heritage where two elements meet: stone, expressed through remarkable buildings, and water in its various forms (ocean, rivers and streams). Ars-en-Ré, Île d’Aix, Brouage, Clion-sur-Seugne, Crazannes, La Flotte, Loix, Mornac-sur-Seudre, Mortagne-sur-Gironde, Port-d’Envaux, Saint-Savinien, Saint-Sauvant, Saint-Trojan-les-Bains and Talmont-sur-Gironde have all been awarded the quality label.

‘France’s Most Beautiful Villages’

This is neither an official quality label nor a competition, and membership is not compulsory. Awarded by a French association, ‘Les Plus Beaux Villages de France’ was created in 1982 to promote the tourism appeal of small rural municipalities with rich cultural heritage.

As of 30 June 2018, there were 158 members (towns or villages).

On Île de Ré, La Flotte has been one of France’s Most Beautiful Villages since 1988 and Ars-en-Ré since 1982.

UNESCO World Heritage

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) was created on 16 November 1945, in the aftermath of the Second World War. Its purpose, according to its constitution, is ‘to contribute to peace and security by promoting collaboration among the nations through education, science and culture’. The organisation has 194 member states and 12 associate members.

The village of Saint-Martin-de-Ré is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

‘Starry towns and villages’

This is a national quality label created by the Association Nationale pour la Protection du Ciel et de l’Environnement Nocturnes (ANPCEN). Concerned with the impact on biodiversity and night-time landscapes, the ‘Villes et Villages Étoilés’ quality label promotes energy saving, the reduction of greenhouse gases, eco-design and the recycling of materials, as well as the preservation of dark skies for stargazing.

The village of Sainte-Marie-de-Ré has been awarded the quality label.

‘Cittaslow’

‘Cittaslow’ (from the Italian città ‘cité’, ‘ville’ and the English ‘slow’), also known as the International Network of Good Living Cities, is a community of cities that focuses on the quality of life for citizens.

In 2014, Loix was awarded the ‘Cittaslow’ label, an international network of towns that choose to promote the art of slow living.

The European Ecolabel

Created in 1992, the European Ecolabel is the only official European ecological label recognised across all European Union member states. In France, the Ministry of the Environment has entrusted the European Ecolabel to the French Agency for Ecological Transition (ADEME), and it is issued through AFNOR certification. It guarantees high standards in reducing the environmental and health impacts of products and services.

Green Key

This is the leading international environmental label for tourist accommodation and restaurants. It promotes the responsible management of water and energy consumption, waste, and the local natural heritage. Establishments raise awareness among visitors and encourage them to travel more responsibly.

NF Environnement

Created in 1991, NF Environnement is an ecolabel issued by AFNOR Certification. Its purpose is to certify the compliance of products or services with the requirements defined in specifications, covering both their quality of use and their environmental quality.

Blue Flag

Created by Teragir in 1985, the Blue Flag is awarded annually for beaches and marinas where there is a commitment to sustainable tourism development. Now present in 45 countries on all continents, it takes into account the safety and accessibility of bathing areas, as well as providing information on bathing water quality and local flora and fauna. Throughout the year, and particularly during the summer season, local authorities with Blue Flag beaches and marinas organise activities to raise environmental awareness.

Bathing Water Quality certification

The Bathing Water Quality certification guarantees good-quality bathing water for swimmers. This certification enables municipalities to comply with the requirements of European Directive 2006/7/EC, taking into account real-time public information and crisis management in the event of pollution. The certification ensures the quality of bathing water in line with a responsible management approach.