Sustainable Tourism
The Cross-Channel Geopark is a shared landscape shaped over millions of years, where chalk cliffs rise above the coast, grasslands stretch across hills and valleys, and wetlands support rich wildlife, heritage, and communities on both sides of the Channel.
Sustainable tourism helps people experience this landscape in meaningful ways, while ensuring it remains protected, thriving, and valued for generations to come.
Why sustainable tourism matters
In the Cross-Channel Geopark, sustainable tourism focuses on visitor experiences that are shaped by the landscape itself. It helps people understand the geology that formed the coast and countryside, the cultural heritage it supports, and the communities who live and work here.
It prioritises tourism that supports local businesses, respects sensitive environments, and encourages visitors to slow down, explore responsibly, and engage with the Geopark’s story across England and France. By working across borders, sustainable tourism strengthens shared understanding and ensures tourism contributes positively to nature, communities, and the long-term care of this landscape.
A shared landscape and vision
Stretching from the Kent Downs National Landscape in England to the Parc naturel régional des Caps et Marais d’Opale in France, the Cross-Channel Geopark is a living landscape shaped over millions of years. Its chalk cliffs, valleys, grasslands, and wetlands are home to wildlife, heritage, and communities that have long worked together across borders.
Tourism plays an important role in supporting local economies and communities across this area. As part of this work, Kent Downs National Landscape and PNR Caps et Marais d’Opale have applied jointly for UNESCO Global Geopark status, recognising the international significance of this landscape and its potential to support sustainable development through education, conservation, and responsible tourism.
In November 2025, a joint application was submitted. UNESCO assessors are expected to visit in summer 2026, with a final decision anticipated in spring 2027.
Making sustainable tourism happen
The Cross-Channel Sustainable Tourism Group provides a practical framework for turning shared ambitions into action.
Through workshops, meetings, and training sessions, participants develop skills, share knowledge, and explore how the Geopark’s geology, culture, and history can shape responsible, place-based visitor experiences.
Practical tools and resources support tourism providers to embed the Geopark’s stories into their offers, while joint working helps build a shared sustainable tourism strategy that supports long-term care of the landscape.
Isabel Shaw, Head of Climate, Nature and Geopark Delivery at Kent Downs National Landscape, says, “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.”
The Sustainable Tourism Group
The Sustainable Tourism Group connects tourism businesses, guides, accommodation providers, educators, and community organisations from England and France.
By bringing diverse voices together, the group supports collaboration, shared learning, and the development of tourism that benefits communities, strengthens local economies, and reflects the values of the Cross-Channel Geopark.
This collaborative approach plays an important role in supporting the journey towards UNESCO Global Geopark status.
Be part of the journey
Sustainable tourism thrives when many voices are involved. We invite tourism businesses, guides, accommodation providers, community groups, educators, and anyone who values responsible travel to take part.
By joining the Sustainable Tourism Group, you can access briefing sessions in February 2026 and take part in the March conference, helping to shape a shared approach that benefits people, places, and businesses on both sides of the Channel.
Register your interest at mail@kentdowns.org.uk
Discover the Geopark Charters
Explore the Geopark Charters, a way for individuals, businesses, and organisations to support sustainability, education, and heritage across the Cross-Channel Geopark, and join a growing community celebrating and protecting this unique landscape. We invite everyone to sign the Charters as a commitment to sustainable practices and the long-term care of the landscape.
This initiative is led by Kent Downs National Landscape and Parc naturel régional des Caps et Marais d’Opale, with funding from the British Embassy Paris Franco-British Call for Bids programme, bringing communities, businesses, and cultural partners across England and France together to celebrate and protect the Cross-Channel Geopark.