Economic Impact Analysis
Détours Madagscar (Détours operator SARL) is a Malagasy-based company, subject to Malagasy tax law. It contributes to the local economy's development, increases the GDP per capita, and helps reduce unemployment.
The agency promotes the development of sustainable tourism across Madagascar, including rural areas. Tourism thus becomes a complementary income-generating activity for people who primarily make a living through agriculture, fishing, and crafts.
The purchase of local products is consistently prioritized, both in the office and on the field, for example, when preparing picnics and meals during camping trips.
There is financial transparency with employees, including regular explanations of the company's operations and financial flows. The agency has sound financial management and no creditors.
The company has an investment policy in capital assets (vehicles, quality camping equipment) to ensure the company's future and sustainability. This also reassures travelers about the agency's dynamism and healthy image.
Areas for Improvement:
- Continue raising awareness and training guides on the importance of consuming local products. In practice, we realized that changing mentalities about promoting 'Vita Malagasy' (Made in Madagascar) is difficult, as even the local population sometimes doesn't fully embrace it. It has been observed that products purchased by guides for camping trips are often imported goods bought in supermarkets. These products are not only expensive but have a high carbon footprint due to their importation. They also undermine the local economy and don't meet travelers' expectations.
- The reasons for these purchasing choices are habit, convenience, and sometimes an incorrect assumption about travelers' preferences, which are shaped by a socio-cultural context different from the guides'. The agency’s role is to raise awareness among its own teams about the importance of consuming locally sourced products for all the right reasons: supporting the local economy in a country rich in high-quality local products that deserve to be valued, aligning with the majority of travelers’ expectations, and reducing costs since these excellent local products are often cheaper than imported ones.
- The agency has not yet supported concrete projects to foster income-generating activities (IGAs) outside tourism with local communities. It would be important for the agency to make its commitments and ethics tangible by supporting projects financially or by providing logistical and organizational support. For example, the agency could consider donating a pre-established percentage of its gross margin to targeted development projects, linked to environmental protection and the creation of IGAs.
- Stricter control measures could be put in place to prevent budget leakages, such as in fuel expenses. Again, awareness among office and field teams is necessary to combat this form of theft, which is observed at various levels.