Our LPO holiday rentals

Responsible tourism: Vacancéole is taking 3 actions

At Vacancéole, we are aware that everyone has to do their bit for the environment. That is why we are reflecting and working to make more and more of our holiday accommodation responsible and sustainable.

Since 2015, we have been committed to Corporate Social Responsibility and have introduced initiatives to reduce our impact on the environment, both internally and for our clients. Our 3 main actions are:

Improving our holiday residences to be Green Key certified. We currently have 26 holiday residences throughout France that meet the requirements of this label. This means they make better use of resources (less energy and water consumption, good waste management, etc.), and are gentler on the environment and on humans. If you want more details, please visit our page all about this label.

Being part of the Essentiem endowment fund, which promotes mindful tourism. This endowment fund works to design and promote innovative projects for environmentally-responsible tourism, which is better thought-out and sustainable.

Improving our holiday residences to accommodate wildlife in partnership with the Ligue pour la Protection des Oiseaux (League for the Protection of Birds, LPO). But how?

Our commitment to the LPO

What is the LPO? This French association works to protect the environment, rather than just birds as its name might suggest. The LPO runs 7 wildlife centres in France, which rescue (and treat if necessary) wild animals in distress. In addition to these centres, the association sets up action and awareness-raising plans for the public, companies and schools. The main activities of this wildlife protection association are:

• Advising the public about how to help wildlife and rescue an animal;
• Helping people explore nature and become better observers of wildlife;
• Contributing to citizen science programmes: e.g., counting certain protected species and observing their habits;
• Participating in awareness-raising activities for schools;
• Creating Youth Groups (for ages 18 to 35) to exchange nature knowledge;
• Organise outings, conferences and activism;
• And creating LPO refuges: this is where we are helping. More details below!

Our LPO-refuge holiday residences

4 Vacancéole residences are LPO refuges. This is a way of showing our commitment to wildlife conservation through our residences.

But what does it involve? The LPO refuges are places where fauna can flourish in comfort, where humans set up facilities to better accommodate them.

How do you become an LPO refuge?

A member of the LPO association visits a holiday residence to assess the potential of the building and land. The LPO and Vacancéole work together to find ways of welcoming wildlife like nesting boxes for birds, hedgehog houses, areas where the grass is no longer mown, insect hotels... The LPO helps us draw up a management plan for green spaces and set up the refuge. So, it isn't about ticking off a list of prerequisites: it's a bespoke project for each refuge.

What are the LPO refuge residences at Vacancéole?

The LPO has supported us with 4 residences so we can look after our wildlife:

• Le Village des Oiseauxin Motz, Rhône-Alpes: this residence is in the heart of a Natura 2000 Zone. This network brings together natural sites with exceptional fauna and flora. Everything has been designed to allow people to observe the birds, while respecting the environment through equipment to reduce electricity consumption and better sort waste. This residence will introduce you to the nature of Savoie. You will be very close to the Rhône River and see the birds living near the aquatic environment.
• Résidence Le Domaine d'Ensérune in Colombiers in Languedoc-Roussillon: if you are looking for peace and nature, this is the place to go! In the heart of the vineyards, a real immersion in Mediterranean culture awaits with all the peace and quiet necessary for bird-watching. Close to Colombiers, you will have access to the Narbonnaise Regional Nature Park, an unspoilt place to go hiking in the heart of nature.
• Résidence Les Gorges Rougesin Guillaumes in the Southern Alps: the small village of Guillaumes is nestled between the Gorges de Daluis Nature Reserve and the Mercantour National Park, so you'll have plenty of opportunities to get away from it all and watch the wildlife! At National Parks, biodiversity is protected. They are exceptional places to see, and above all protect, fauna and flora. When you enter a National Park, there are rules that must be followed in order not to disturb the animals, and picking flowers is also forbidden. Résidence Les Gorges Rouges also has its own rules to protect the environment. You will find all the information at reception.