Tourism in Madagascar: A naturally responsible destination?

Madagascar has enormous tourism potential, directly linked to sustainable tourism: its exceptional biodiversity, varied landscapes and ecosystems, pristine expanses, and cultural richness make it an ideal candidate to stand alongside the world’s most renowned ecotourism destinations. 

A large portion of Madagascar's tourism businesses are sensitive to the social and environmental challenges of alternative tourism, which respects both humans and nature. These companies are aware that it is these very elements that attract the majority of today’s travelers—those who take pleasure in walking the red earth of the Great Island. 

Many receptive travel agencies are now offering tourism products that are, by nature, oriented towards sustainable tourism, with varying levels of commitment depending on the agency and its sensitivities. 

Paradoxically, however, we notice that very few of these agencies communicate directly about the sustainability of their proposed trips to their travelers and online communities. Does this deliberate choice of almost no communication on responsible tourism reflect the reality on the ground? What are the actual social, environmental, economic, and ethical impacts of these businesses on their direct and indirect environments, whether positive or negative?

We closely studied the activities and initiatives carried out by the tour operator Détours Madagascar, based in Antananarivo, to assess the overall impact of its operations in Madagascar. This assessment also aims to help the agency with its positioning and communication regarding its best practices, targeting both its travelers and various partners, while providing areas for improvement to work on.

Excerpt from a thesis - Maëlle GUILLET  

Tourism in Madagascar: A Naturally Responsible Destination? The Case of Détours Madagascar

Professional License in Tourism and Solidarity Economy,  

University of Avignon and the Pays de Vaucluse