Country: Brazil

Organization: Sociedade Francofônica pelo desenvolvimento do Turismo Sustentável e Solidário no Brasil

Year the initiative began: 2005

Positioning in the Mosaic of solutions:

• Main barrier addressed: Lack of local input
• Main insight addressed: Develop community assets

What is the goal of your innovation?
Articulation and organization of touristic tours by Brazilian French-speakers for the reception of French-speakers in unusual regions that are important to Brazil environmental, cultural and historically

How does your approach support or embody geotourism?
The tours’ organization is shaped according to a training of the local community and entrepreneurs aiming a good welcoming of the French-speaker tourist. Each entrepreneur involved in the circuit compromises to: 1: sustainability and preservation of the environment 2: Preservation and valorization of the culture, history and local environmental resources important for tourism, biodiversity, environmental balance and well-being of the communities.3: Valorization and development of francophonie in the region of the tour promoting the teaching of the language to the employees of the enterprises and students being formed for the job.4: Valorization and incorporation of art and local artisan crafts as material for tourism. 5: Valorization of products and local work force attending tourists.

Describe your approach in detial. How is it innovative?
Communication process, promotion and tour sales in French-speaking countries will be bases in:1: reception and attendance of the tourist by Brazilians that respect and love francophonie and, consequently, want to live with those who speak French.2: parts of the income resulting form the sale of these tours will be destined to:- promotion and development of francophonie. - environmental sustainability, basic sanitation services, agro foresting and biological agriculture. - promotion and professionalization of young people in social risk. - prevention and fighting sexual exploitation of children and young people through education and social support to families at risk. 3: The circuits are articulated and planned in safe regions of the country and will follow rigid legislation for prevention of any possibility of harming the tourist’s physical integrity.

What types of partnerships or professional developement would be most beneficial in spearding your innovation?
Partnerships with travelling agencies and associations destined to promotion of sustainable and solidary tourism, local organizations and tourism entrepreneurs and general francophone organizations.

In one sentence describe what kind of impact, change, or reform your approach is intended to achieve.
It creates permanent fluxes of French-speaking at the circuits, makes possible the financial balance for the enterprises, generates employment and income for communities, makes possible the maintenance of the families in their regions and the rational use and protection of local resources.

Describe the degree of success of your approach to date. Clearly define how you measure quantitative and qualitative impact in terms of how your approach contributes to the sustainability or enhancement of local culture, environment, heritage, or aesthetics? How does your approach minimize negative impacts?
We are finishing the organization of the first two tours we will operate along with traveling agencies from France starting in October 2008. We preview 50 senior tourists each month in each 10-days tour.This partnership has resulted in: 1. The adoption of the pre-school Francisquinho at Alto Paraíso – Goias, benefiting aproximately 200 children from low income families. 2. Beginning of the recuperation of the orfanate from the same institution that will shelter 100 orfans starting by the end of this year. 3.Preview of construction of a communitarian restaurant, a cooking school and the ministration of French courses in 5 public schools at the city and 2 night French courses for entrepreneurs and workers of the tours ministered by teachers already hired.

How does your program promote traveler enthusiasm, satisfaction, and engagement with the locale?
Possibility of visiting and interacting with the community more activelly and colaborating

In what ways are local residents actively involved in your innovation, including participation and community input? How has the community responded to or benefited from your approach?
So far the community has been observing the organization and the firts hirings so yet we are not in an evaluation period.

Describe how your innovation helps travelers and local residents better understand the value of the area's cultural and natural heritage, and educates them on local environmental issues. How do you motivate them to act responsibly in their future travel decisions?
Focusing on the special attendance of the French-speaker public, developing the proposals of promoting francophonie in the region and other solidarity actions has motivated French partners and provoques curiosity of the local community.

Is your initiative financially and organizationally sustainable? If not, what is required to make it so? What is the potential demand for your innovation?
Having a French partner interested in the development of the proposal already puts us in a comfortable and sustainable position. We are now preparing for the divulgating and selling the first tour

How is your initiative currently financed? If available, provide information on your finances and organization that could help others. Please list: Annual budget, annual revenue generated, size of part-time, full-time and volunteer staff.
We still don t have a definit budget, everything has been working voluntarilly and the costs being paid by the organization

What is your plan to expand your approach? Please indicate where/how you would like to grow or enhance your innovation, or have others do so.
As we start to sell the first tour we will have automatically the resources for the social, environmental and expansion activities.

What are the main barriers you encounter in managing, implementing, or replicating your innovation? What barriers keep your program from having greater impact?
The tourism sector in pioneer regions is economically fragile and demands professionalism

What is the origin of your innovation? Tell your story.
I started this project in 2004 in Paris as I lived there until the end of 2005. After the participation in events promoted by fair trade, biological agriculture, landscape culture and environmental organizations in France I concluded that there is a big potential for promoting tourism of French-speakers in regions with environmental interest, mostly where it can contribute with sustainability and families’ fixation. Back to Brazil in 2006, we organized a NGO to coordinate and gather efforts of French-speaking Brazilians interested in this idea that gathers tourism, sustainability, solidarity and francophonie.

Please provide a personal bio. Note this may be used in Changemakers' marketing material.
I’m a member of the Ashoka Fellowship, being selected by the pioneer work I developed and that contained:1. Discussion of hunger and malnutrition in Brazil gathering universities, trade unions, NGOs and popular associations that resulted in the establishment of the theme in the political agenda in parties and the national government from president Itamar Franco. 2. Organization of the educators netowrk for alimentar orientation and utilization of non-convencional aliments. 3.Development and diffusion of the universal complementary aliment based on crisps, seed and leaves.

Please write an overview of your project. This text will appear when people scroll over the icon for your entry on the Google map located on teh competition homepage.
Articulation and development of touristc tours for the attendance of French-speaker tourists gathering people interested in the expansion of francophonie, sustainable and solidarity tourism in Brazil

Contact Information
Mr. Valdo França
Founder
Sociedade Francofônica pelo desenvolvimento do Turismo Sustentável e Solidário no Brasil