Funding secured to support sustainable geotourism in the Cross-Channel Geopark

The Cross-Channel Geopark, led by Kent Downs National Landscape and the Parc naturel régional des Caps et Marais d’Opale, has secured funding through the British Embassy Paris Franco-British Call for Bids programme. This funding supports closer collaboration between partners in England and France as work continues to develop the Cross-Channel Geopark.

The project brings together people, ideas, and landscapes. It creates opportunities for tourism businesses on both sides of the Channel to strengthen sustainable geotourism across a shared landscape.

A shared landscape

The Cross-Channel Geopark is based on a single geological story that extends across two countries. The landscape includes chalk grasslands, valleys, cliffs, and wetlands. It reflects deep-time geology, shared history, and long-standing cooperation between partners in England and France.

In November 2025, Kent Downs National Landscape and the Parc naturel régional des Caps et Marais d’Opale submitted a joint application for UNESCO Global Geopark status. UNESCO assessors are expected to visit in summer 2026, with a final decision anticipated in spring 2027.

The application may be in, but our story is still being written. The more we can demonstrate active partnerships, curious minds, and committed businesses, the stronger our case for becoming a UNESCO Global Geopark.

What the funding supports

This funding enables the creation of a Cross-Channel Sustainable Tourism Group. The group will bring together tourism businesses, guides, cultural organisations, and partners connected to Kent Downs and the Parc naturel régional des Caps et Marais d’Opale to share learning and shape the future of sustainable geotourism.

It will allow us to:  

• Host online and in-person briefing and training sessions in February 2026, with tailored sessions in England and France. 

• Build shared understanding and confidence in sustainable tourism, helping businesses explore how geology, culture, and place shape their visitor experience. 

• Develop toolkits and resources so tourism providers can easily weave the Geopark’s stories, textures, and landscapes into what they offer. 

• Bring partners together at a Cross-Channel Geopark Sustainable Tourism Conference on Tuesday 10 March 2026 at the Maison du Parc in Le Wast, France. 

• Co-create a roadmap for a cross-channel sustainable tourism Strategy—an exciting, collaborative blueprint for the Geopark’s future. 

Why your involvement matters

Sustainable geotourism invites people to feel a place. Its rocks, its history, its communities, and to care for it in return. For the Cross-Channel Geopark, this project is an opportunity to spark imagination, build resilience and showcase the power of partnership. 

Every business that steps forward adds to the picture UNESCO will see next summer: a living, breathing cross-border landscape with strong belief in what it can become. 

“This is our chance to show the world what makes our shared landscape so special. When businesses, communities and partners come together with curiosity and care, we create something far bigger than a project—we create a movement. This funding helps us take the next step, side by side, towards a truly united Cross-Channel Geopark.” 

Isabel Shaw, Head of Climate, Nature and Geopark delivery — Kent Downs National Landscape 

Get involved!

We welcome tourism businesses, visitor attractions, guides, accommodation providers, and community organisations who want to be part of this journey and the new Cross-Channel Sustainable Tourism Group.  

If you’d like to be part of this exciting journey, email us at mail@kentdowns.org.uk to register your interest. 

By joining the Cross-Channel Geopark Tourism Group, you’ll be stepping into the full experience—taking part in the February 2026 briefing and training sessions and the Cross-Channel Geopark Tourism Conference in March.