Bordeaux is participating in a pilot project with 8 other French destinations to get the “Innovative Sustainable Destination” certification. The Bordeaux Tourist Office has been certified ISO 20121 in 2021. Bordeaux is therefore boosting its environmental objectives, wishing to become one of the first positive energy metropole by 2050. The protection of the 50% of natural areas that the territory includes and the strengthening of a sustainable solidarity and shared well-being are also main orientations. For tourism, it implies in particular the support of soft mobility, through the public transport network which irrigates all the centres of interest (93% of the high capacity hotels are within 30mins of a congress centre by public transport), and the use of the bicycle, particularly suitable for discovering the metropole (1,425 km of bicycle paths/885 miles of bike path and 2,000 self-service bicycles).

We want to lead eco-responsible transitions in our territory, inspiring all the other local players – already active in this field. All of the Bordeaux Congress and Exhibition facilities (CEB) have ISO 14001 sustainable certification. They offer carbon footprint audits and counts with the largest solar power plant in an urban area in France (20 hectares). Many actors of the MICE industry are also eco-labelled, hotels, restaurants and caterers, stand designers and event agencies. 75% of the vineyards, which counts with many venues, was already certified in an environmental approach in 2020.

Bordeaux is an epicentre of the French “art de vivre”. Capital city of the largest French region, it is an attractive metropole with a high quality of life. We have managed, for several consecutive years, to rank first as the favorite city for working in for the French. As part of the ISO20121 pilot certification, we want to ensure that tourism is a driver of inclusion through professional training and social projects with disadvantaged groups. Bordeaux Tourist and Convention Office already holds several titles that certify our long commitment for social sustainability and inclusion, including ‘Quality tourism’, ‘Tourism and disability’, ‘Destination for all’ and 'ISO 20121'.