One of the largest and most striking sustainable tourism projects in the world officially opened yesterday. Bioregional’s One Planet Living framework has played a vital role in the creation of Villages Nature® Paris as well as offering support to allow the project to meet its high ambitions.

The project has been designed in order to create a space that is in harmony with nature and the rest of the planet. Located only three miles away from Disneyland Paris, Bioregional first became involved with this family focused site in 2005, when the project was still in the early stages of planning. The organisation has supported this Paris project ever since and has regularly monitored the project’s process against the challenging targets that have been set out in Villages Nature® Paris’ One Planet Action Plan.

Bioregional has said that they will carry on monitoring the sustainability of the resort now that it has been officially opened to the public. It is hoped that eventually the new resort will attract more than a million visitors each year.

This sustainable tourism project is a joint venture that has been brought to life by Groupe Pierre & Vacances-Centre Parcs and Euro Disney SCA. The site offers 868 cottages and apartments which are located in a car-free landscape filled with lakes, woodlands, meadows and gardens a mere 20 miles away from the bustling French capital.

This oasis in an urban landscape has been created in order to set new standards for the tourism industry. Villages Nature® Paris illustrates how such a fast growing industry can be altered in order to be a force for good while also allowing visitors to reconnect to nature. The new tourist attraction also shows how the environmental impact of the tourism industry can be reduced while also including practices that supports the local economy.